


The Delivery Boy

by madarains



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys Kissing, Crack, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Depression, Developing Relationship, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, Everyone Is Alive, Everyone Is Gay, Explicit Language, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, Mutual Pining, NaruSasu - Freeform, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Read, Romance, Sad, SasuNaru - Freeform, Slow Burn, Smut, Soulmates, Swearing, To Read, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2020-10-20 19:10:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 45,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20680469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madarains/pseuds/madarains
Summary: Covering a shift for Sai, Naruto delivers a package to Sasuke’s house. Immediately besotted, Naruto tries to befriend the increasingly irritated Uchiha. But things don’t quite work out as he plans.[ON HOLD]





	1. [a bike ride down memory lane]

**Author's Note:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- hi, hello! i'm planning for this story to be novel length (this may change as i write), so please bare with me as i update and edit. please leave any feedback/kudos if you like it or have any criticism. i hope you enjoy!  


It’s mid-afternoon and Naruto couldn’t be more bored.

He wasn’t even supposed to be in work today, yet had begrudgingly done so because Asuma had all but guilt-tripped him into doing so. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, of all people, he’d been called in to cover Sai’s shift.

There isn’t any particularly annoying about Sai, Naruto didn’t think. He was pleasant enough, but after working together for almost two years now, Naruto couldn’t pin-point a time when he actually considered Sai a friend. Mostly, Naruto conversed with the raven head just because he was friends with Neji. And as Naruto had accidentally discovered when he had happened to walk in on the two locking lips in the storage cupboard, Neji and Sai were a little more than friends.

Sai was a little odd, mostly quiet and withdrawn. Neji, although similar, was a little more willing to actually converse with other people. Naruto didn’t quite understand how the pair had gotten past the stage of awkward conversation passed whenever the post-office was empty. But if Neji liked Sai, Naruto would continue to do his best to befriend him.

So naturally, when Asuma’s phone call had rudely awoken Naruto from a well earned nap after a long night out with his friends, Naruto had groggily agreed to cover Sai’s shift.

And so there he stands behind the counter, eyeing the clock, groaning when he realises that he still has another three hours before he can go home and crawl back into bed.

‘Watching the time won’t make it go any faster, you know.’

Naruto huffs, leaning to rest his head on the countertop. ‘Are Saturday’s usually this borin’?’ He asks, voice muffled.

Neji is carrying a box to the back of the shop, heaving a heavy sigh when he lets it drop from his fingers. It lands on the floor, heavy, and there’s a rattling noise that echoes from within the cardboard.

‘_Neji_!’

Neji scowls.

‘What have I told you!?’ Asuma yells from his office. ‘Be careful with the boxes! They belong to paying customers!’

Neji waves a hand, dismissive, although he knows Asuma cannot see him.

‘Fuckin’ kids…’

Naruto stifles a laugh, straightening up.

‘No,’ Neji finally answers his question, shuffling his way back to the front door again to pick up another parcel. This one is much smaller and out of curiosity, Neji noses at the addressee. An eyebrow raises. He looks up at Naruto. ‘The fair is on this weekend, remember? Everywhere is pretty much closed up, but we have deliveries today.’

‘Ah,’ Naruto pretends to remember. ‘Makes sense.’

‘Talking of,’ Asuma is suddenly standing in the doorway, toothpick resting between his lips. ‘I need you to go out today, ‘Ruto.’

Naruto groans. ‘C’mon, Asuma!’ He throws his hands up in protest. ‘It’s bad enough that I’m here on a fuckin’ Saturday. _And _my head is killin’ me too. Please don’t make me go out.’

Asuma shrugs. ‘Sorry, kid. You agreed to cover Sai’s shift,’ he reminds Naruto, looking anything but apologetic. ‘‘Sides, it’s not anything different to what you do in the week.’

‘That’s different!’ Naruto disagrees.

‘Everyone’s in town today,’ Neji adds in. ‘The roads are clearer today.’

Naruto glares at him, ‘whose side are you on!?’

Neji grins, carrying more parcels to the back of the shop.

‘I don’t do deliveries on Saturdays,’ Naruto grumbles. Asuma looks bemused. ‘In fact, I don’t even work on Saturdays at all! I’m only here to cover Shithead’s shift. Go make his boyfriend do it.’

Neji flips up his middle finger.

‘Well today, you do,’ Asuma stands his ground. He points to the door. ‘Neji will get your bag ready. There’s not a lot to do, I promise.’

Naruto knows he’s lying.

But he also knows that arguing is pointless. Maybe the ride out _would_ be less boring than standing behind the counter all afternoon. But that doesn’t make delivering on a Saturday, when he could be nursing his hangover at home, any more desirable. Still, he shoves his phone into his back pocket, fishing for his keys in the other. He hears - and ignores - Asuma’s bemused thanks and marches over to the door to unlock the chain on his bike as he waits for Neji.

๑

Two hours later, Naruto is only just down to his last four packages.

Luckily, the last two are addressed to the same location, and he sighs heavily as he pushes the pedals faster, hoping to get this over and done with. 

He delivers the first package with no issue. However, the second addressee proceeded to make Naruto stand and watch as he opened his package to check whether it was the correct parcel. Naruto had tried to explain that it wasn’t his job to check, only to be silenced when the man had then demanded that Naruto take it back, evidently unhappy with his purchase.

Even Naruto had turned his nose up at the box of colouring books.

It had taken another fifteen minutes for Naruto to explain - as calmly and as simply as he possibly could - that he was not allowed to return the package as it was something the customer would have to do himself. Not happy with the blonde’s answer, the man started a heated rant about how useless the delivery service was and how he’d be putting in a complaint first thing in the morning. Naruto had left, resisting the urge to hit the man square in the face.

But now - finally - he is on his way to the last house.

He follows the map on his phone, unfamiliar with the final location. This area seems to be on the nicer side of town, the houses bigger, standing further apart the more he bikes down the long road. It’s quiet out, Naruto realises that Neji was right, the roads practically empty. There’s a breeze as he sets the wheels to glide easily, barely pedalling as he welcomes the air that cools him. He uses one hand to steer, his free hand pressing to his forehead. He grimaces, wiping the sweat onto his shorts.

He follows the map all the way to the end of the road. Braking, he pauses, looking at the house before him, squinting to see the number to ensure that he has the correct address.

This house is different to the others. It looks almost as identical on the outside, but it stands much further away from the rest, even gated up to prevent outsiders from trespassing. Naruto sees the intercom on the gate and wonders if the owner can see him.

He looks around him, feeling out of place.

He swallows hard.

Tugging his delivery bag further up his shoulder, he figures the area is safe enough to leave his bike leaning against the fence. He eyes the intercom once more. He hesitates but reaches to push the big green button, listening to it ring before it crackles, a low voice slithering out of the speaker.

‘Yes?’

‘H-Hi,’ he stutters. ‘I’m here to deliver a package..?’

There isn’t a reply. The intercom sizzles to a silence and just when Naruto thinks he’s been left outside, the right gate begins to open.

He easily slips through the gap, tightly clutching at his bag. The driveway is a small walk and Naruto takes his time as he gawks at the meticulously well-kept lawn, even the three very expensive looking cars parked up, perfectly spaced apart.

Naruto raises an eyebrow.

Soon, he’s stepping up onto the decking, hand reaching to push the doorbell.

But the door is swung wide open and Naruto bites back a yelp of surprise.

He’s met with a dark haired guy sporting a well-practiced scowl.

‘Enjoying yourself?’

‘Huh?’ Naruto answers dumbly, cheeks flushing. He ignores the snide comment, unzipping his bag to retrieve the last two parcels. ‘Uh,’ he squints his eyes to read the tiny lettering before widening as he recognises the name on the label. ‘Uchiha Sas-?’

The parcels are all but snatched from his hands.

‘’Kay, there’s no need to be so fuc-’ Naruto starts before remembering that the young man before him is his customer. He clears his throat, huffing down his annoyance as he shoves the log book under the dark haired man’s nose.

He receives another scowl.

‘Sign,’ Naruto forces a smile as he adds, ‘please.’

He watches the boy mutter under his breath, placing the parcels onto the windowsill before roughly taking the log book from Naruto’s hands. He looks at Naruto expectantly.

Naruto peers back, bewildered.

‘Are you going to give me a pen or are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?’

‘Oh,’ Naruto breathes, scrambling inside his bag to search for a pen, handing to the boy, watching him search for his parcel name before scribbling his signature. ‘So, uh,’ Naruto starts as he takes the book back. ‘What you been doin’ since school?’

The boy, hand on the door frame, looks at Naruto. ‘Didn’t think you recognised me,’ he says after a moment.

Naruto is flashing him a big smile now. He scratches the back of his head, sheepish. ‘I didn’t at first.’

Sasuke’s expression is less than impressed.

‘I mean, you look different from when we were kids,’ Naruto is quick to find an excuse. He looks Sasuke up at down. ‘A lot different.’

‘We only left school last year,’ Sasuke reminds him, still scowling. ‘And I was in your English class for three years straight.’

Naruto is stumped, eyebrows furrowing, ‘really? I coulda sworn-’

‘Anyway,’ Sasuke cuts him off, tight lipped. ‘I have to go.’

Naruto nods, smiling again, ‘nice to see you again.’

Sasuke eyes him dubiously. ‘Thanks for the package, Uzumaki.’

The door is slammed shut in Naruto’s face before he can reply. He stares at it for a few seconds before he turns and slowly makes his way back down the driveway. He wonders if Sasuke is watching him, his thought confirmed when the gate immediately shuts behind him as soon as he slips back through. He looks over his shoulder, pensive.

He isn’t sure who he was expecting to be living behind the big gated house, but Uchiha Sasuke definitely wasn’t it. And much like when they were children, as much as Naruto can remember anyway, Sasuke is as cold as ever. But definitely _much_ more attractive, Naruto grins to himself.

Only to curse very loudly when the intercom buzzes back to life.

‘Go home, Uzumaki.’

Naruto sticks his middle finger up at the speaker.

He hoists his bike from the gating, swinging a leg over the other side. He looks at the house one more time before kicking his bike into gear. He begins to pedal back down the long road, empty bag flapping in the air.

As he makes his way back to the shop, Naruto thinks of the dark haired male.

Despite knowing the Uchiha since childhood, he and Sasuke had never become friends at school. In fact, Naruto doesn’t recall Sasuke _ever _having friends. He doesn’t even remember being in the same classes with him. The last time he remembers seeing Sasuke was just after they joined high-school, Naruto helping Sasuke fight a kid that’d had it in for Sasuke from the moment he’d stepped onto the school premises.

After that, Naruto doesn’t remember seeing Sasuke again. 

But the raven head had said they were in class together, and as his memory has never served him well, Naruto decides that he’ll take Sasuke’s word for it. He definitely hadn’t expected to see Sasuke today - if ever - but maybe, just maybe this is Naruto’s chance to start over.

He bikes the rest of the journey back to the shop in a thoughtful silence.

But as soon as he bursts through the door, ignoring Asuma’s ‘I thought you’d gotten lost along the way’ and heading straight for Neji. Naruto grabs Neji by the shoulders, widened grey eyes gawking back at him.

‘What-?’ Neji starts. But as soon as he sees Naruto’s flushed cheeks, a knowing smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. He remembers seeing the familiar name on the small parcel before he’d packed it into Naruto’s delivery bag. So when Naruto speaks, Neji isn’t at all surprised by what he says.

‘I need you to get Sai to switch shifts with me.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	2. [red cheeks and paint brushes]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- a little insight to sasuke's character :) i'll probably go back and edit this chapter in the next few days.  


****‘And like I asked ten minutes ago, what is in it for me?’

Naruto sighs heavily.

He’s spent the past twenty minutes trying to convince Sai to allow him to take over his shift on Saturday’s. And much like Naruto had predicted two days ago, Sai is proving difficult to persuade. He watches a knowing smile etch itself across Neji’s face as he looks between his boyfriend and the blonde, arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the counter.

‘Quit fuckin’ grinning,’ Naruto spits at him before looking at Sai. ‘C’mon, Sai,’ Naruto urges. ‘You’re not losing out by switching with me.’

Sai glances at him through heavily lidded eyes. ‘And if I do not switch, neither are you.’

Naruto splutters as he tries to think of a reply.

He’s drawn to a blank.

Unwilling to admit to the real reason why he was so desperate to switch, he huffs, exasperated. And that’s exactly what he is. Desperate. And Naruto isn’t even sure why he’s spent the past two days thinking about their brief encounter. The two of them weren’t ever close at school and Naruto doesn’t even remember sharing classes with the Uchiha.

But there was something about Sasuke - something that Naruto can’t explain, even to himself - that has drawn him in. And now Naruto is so desperate to have a reason to see him again, despite how embarrassing it is to admit to himself.

Maybe it’s because he’s attracted to Sasuke? It has never been a secret that Naruto is bisexual, and if Sasuke really does remember Naruto from their time at high-school, then the raven head is undoubtedly aware of Naruto’s promiscuous years.

Naruto’s cheeks flush, ashamed.

There’s no doubt in his mind that he thinks Sasuke is impossibly hot - beautiful, even - and it is the only logical reason that he can think of to explain his newfound obsession with the Uchiha.

Which is something he isn’t willing to share with either Sai nor Neji anytime soon. Although Naruto is sure the latter has already figured it out.

‘Just tell him.’

Both Sai and Naruto look at Neji, whom is still grinning.

Grey eyes fixate onto Naruto. ‘Tell him the truth.’

‘Huh?’

‘The truth?’

Sai is looking at Naruto now, who is pretending to not notice.

‘The truth…?’ Sai repeats.

‘I-I…’ Naruto stutters, rapidly thinking of a lie. ‘I’d just rather have Fridays off.’

It’s a bad lie, he knows. And Sai immediately berates him.

‘You already changed your rota to have the weekend off,’ he reminds Naruto. ‘Including Fridays.’

Naruto huffs again. ‘Okay, Thursdays, then.’

Dark eyes narrow at him before turning their attention to Neji. ‘What is he lying about?’

Neji’s lip part, but before he can speak, Naruto screams, ‘I’m not fuckin’ lyin’!’

The entrance door suddenly slams shut and the trio turn to look at the culprit.

Sasuke stares back at them, expressionless.

‘Hi, Sasuke,’ Neji is the first to greet him, grin widening.

Sasuke offers a grunt, nodding in Neji’s direction. But his eyes are glued to Naruto.

The blonde quickly averts his gaze, ducking behind the counter as he pretends to tie his shoelace. His cheeks are warm, he realises, groaning under his breath. A hand is suddenly slapped onto his shoulder and Naruto yelps, jumping in surprise.

He looks over his shoulder to see Neji fighting back another smile. ‘What are you doing down there?’

Naruto ignores his question, hissing, ‘what is he doing here!?’

Neji glances at his watch, ‘he always comes in at this time on a Monday. You’re usually gone by now.’

Naruto gawks at him. ‘Do I have to serve him?’

Neji eyes him, ‘who is supposed to be working the counter right now?’

‘…I am.’

An eyebrow is raised.

Naruto pats his cheeks, ‘I can’t serve him lookin’ like this.’

Neji’s fingers are curling around his bicep now, yanking on his arm until he’s standing. ‘You look fine, idiot.’

Naruto disagrees.

He doesn’t even know why he’s acting like this. He should have grown out of the ‘embarrassingly giddy around your crush’ phase at least six years ago. He’s twenty-two for god’s sake.

‘Are you feeling okay? Your cheeks are red.’

Naruto looks up to see both Sai and Sasuke looking at him.

‘Aha, yeah…’ He trails off, frowning as he makes a show of finding the log book from one of the drawers. He throws it onto the desk, opening it up to scribble the date.

‘Oh no,’ Sai corrects Naruto. ‘We use separate books for regulars now.’

Naruto’s hand pauses.

‘Sasuke’s is in the bottom right drawer,’ Neji informs him.

The three of them watch as Naruto retrieves Sasuke’s log book, eyes flickering over the lettering of his name before he opens it up, pen in hand. He quickly scrawls the date, glancing up.

‘Whaddya need checking in?’

Sasuke eyes him carefully, stepping forward to place a stack of A-3 sized envelopes onto the counter. Naruto stamps them, scribbling their identification number next to the date. He quietly asks Sasuke to sign, the raven head obliging, stony-faced.

‘We’ll send them off first thing,’ he assures Sasuke, not meeting his gaze. He begins to slide the book from the countertop, ready to place it back in the drawer. But a pale, long-digit hand slaps down on top of it, halting his movements.

‘One more thing,’ Sasuke drawls, eyes boring into Naruto. Naruto dares to meet his gaze, swallowing at the sight of the bored expression on the dark haired man’s face. Up close, he can see the tiny freckle under Sasuke’s bottom lip and it takes all he has to force himself to not stare. Sasuke doesn’t seem to notice, ‘I have another delivery coming. It should be here by Saturday.’

‘O-Okay.’

‘Make sure it’s delivered on time,’ Sasuke warns him. ‘It’s important.’

Naruto forces a tight smile, ‘sure.’

Sasuke looks at him again. ‘I have an appointment in the morning, so if I’m not back in time, my brother will accept it.’

‘Brother?’ Naruto blurts dumbly.

He looks Sasuke up and down. He definitely didn’t take Sasuke as the type to have siblings.

‘Yes,’ Sasuke bites out. ‘Is that a problem?’

Naruto cringes at the glare that is sent his way. ‘N-No.’

‘Good.’

Naruto watches him nod at Neji and Sai, looking at Naruto one last time. ‘Saturday.’

‘Saturday,’ Naruto repeats the word softly, eyes glazing over as he stares down at the counter.

Sasuke is frowning now, but he doesn’t comment, sauntering his way over to the door. It slams shut once more, announcing his departure.

There’s a brief pause.

‘I will switch with you.’

Naruto looks up, lips parted. Even Neji is staring at his boyfriend, bewildered. He hadn’t expected him to give in to Naruto’s request so quickly.

‘What?’ Naruto questions, dumbfounded.

Sai smiles his not-so-real smile and it unnerves Naruto. ‘You have already arranged to meet him on Saturday,’ he reasons.

Naruto’s eyes narrow, ‘I’ve been _begging _you all morning.’

‘Oh, I know,’ Sai replies. Neji is grinning again, stacking a new batch of notebooks onto a shelf. ‘It was nice to watch.’

‘I fuckin’ hate you,’ Naruto groans, his words holding no real meaning.

Sai clicks his tongue, ‘ask him out.’

Naruto’s eyes widen, horrified.

‘What?’ Sai questions. ‘Is it not the reason why you wanted to switch shifts with me?’

Naruto doesn’t bother to reply, cheeks enflamed.

‘I think you’ll need to put more effort in than that,’ Neji buts in.

Sai looks down at him, pensive. ‘Why? Asking him to be his boyfriend is simple enough. Straight to the point.’

Neji eyes him pointedly, ‘was it simple for you?’

Sai pauses, clearing his throat as he looks away.

‘Exactly,’ Neji smiles. He looks to Naruto, ‘besides, does Sasuke look like the type to be wooed over by a ‘be my boyfriend, pretty please’ to you?’

Sai’s nose scrunches.

Naruto’s lips purse, ‘who said I wanted to date him?’

Neji scoffs, shrugging, ‘okay, you want to fuck him then.’

Sai blushes and Naruto chokes on his own breath.

Neji ignores them, ‘you know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with a girl… or boy.’

‘You know him personally?’ Sai asks, recovering quickly.

Neji hums, ‘yeah, Naruto and I went to school with him.’

Naruto scratches the back of his head, ‘he said he was in our class. I don’t even remember.’

Neji looks at him, disbelieving. ‘He sat right behind us in English and Art for-’

‘Three years, I know, he told me,’ Naruto grumbles. ‘The last I remember of him was fightin’ that weird ginger kid in first year… you know that one who got those weird piercings in his face just before we left? What was his name again?’

‘Yahiko,’ Neji deadpans.

‘Yahiko!’ Naruto repeats, smiling. ‘That’s it!’ He exhales, ‘man. I’m so glad I got to punch him at least once. He always hung ‘round that emo guy with the red hair… he was so freakin’ weird.’

‘If he says the word ‘weird’ one more time,’ Sai mutters.

‘I can’t believe you remember Yahiko _and _Nagato - who weren’t even in our year - but you don’t remember sitting in the same class as Sasuke for almost five years.’

Naruto frowns, ‘five years? I thought we were in English with him for three?’

‘Our art class? You know, with Iruka… for, like, our entire time there?’

Naruto glares, ‘don’t remind me.’

‘Your dad was your art teacher?’ Sai asks, interested.

‘Yeah,’ Naruto replies, looking down at Sasuke’s log book. His index finger traces over the ‘Uchiha’. ‘It was just before he and Kakashi got married.’

‘Don’t change the subject,’ Neji snaps. ‘I can’t believe that you don’t remember.’

Naruto groans loudly, leaning to rest his head on the counter-top. ‘I can’t help that my memory is shit. ‘Sides, I skipped a lot of classes anyway.’

‘I know,’ Neji glares.

Sai eyes the clock on the wall, changing the subject once more, ‘we close up in an hour?’

A look of relief is plastered onto Naruto’s face, ‘thank god!’ He rubs his stomach, ‘I can’t wait for dinner.’

Neji busies himself, continuing to stack the shelves. Sai is making his way towards the back of the room, mumbling under his breath. Naruto exhales, glancing at Sasuke’s signature one last time before he finally places the book back inside the drawer, ensuring to lock it. He still doesn’t understand why Asuma insists on handwriting everything, when they have a perfectly working computer behind the cashier counter.

He glances at the door that Sai has just disappeared through.

‘Where is Asuma?’

‘He booked this week off,’ Sai calls back through the door.

‘Something about babysitting his nephew,’ Neji elaborates. ‘Why?’

Naruto shrugs, ‘no reason.’

Neji looks as if he doesn’t believe him, but doesn’t comment.

Naruto looks at the clock on the wall, sighing.

Just another fifty-three minutes left before he can go home.

๑

It is well past midnight when Sasuke decides to retire for the night. 

He’s just finished another commission - a painting of someone’s dead dog (he doesn’t remember its name) - and he’s exhausted. He leans back in his chair, flexing his aching fingers, hair falling into his drooping eyes. His parents went to bed hours ago, and whilst Itachi is very much a late owl like himself, Sasuke suspects that he may also be asleep by now.

He stands, quietly shifting his chair backwards as to not make much noise, despite his room being right at the end of the hall, far from both his parents’ and his brother’s. He stretches, cracking his neck in the process. He grunts, rubbing the nape with sore fingertips. Hours of being hunched over his desk is definitely going to hurt in the morning. But for now, as he scrutinises the painting for any mistakes, he decides that the result of a week’s worth of tiresome work, it’s acceptable.

He washes the brushes in the bowl of water that he’d placed on the corner of his desk, tired eyes watching the water turn a dark, murky colour as it mixes with the paint. He yawns as he sets them out to dry, using his favourite flannel to wipe down the surface of any leftover marks. It’ll take at least a day for the paint to dry out properly, so Sasuke sets it into a careful position to ensure the paint doesn’t run.

Pleased, he grabs the bowl of water, scrunching the flannel with his other hand, quietly exiting his room. Silently, he makes his way down the hall, feet barely touching the floor as he descends the stairs. He crosses the hallway, stepping into the large kitchen. Only to bite back a yell when he sees Itachi sat at the dining table.

He’s quick to compose himself, but it’s too late. Itachi sees him flinch, head barely moving as his eyes follow his kid brother as he makes his way over to the sink.

‘Brother.’

To others, the greeting would be deemed as cold, unwelcoming. But Sasuke sees the bottle of whiskey just as he turns towards the window, switching the tap on. Itachi is far from drunk, Sasuke knows this, but as the bottle is almost half empty, he suspects he’s bordering past tipsy His thought is confirmed when Itachi breaks the silence yet again, words tainted with a slight slur.

‘Mother will be angry if she sees you doing that.’

Sasuke flushes the bowl out several times, using his fingers to wipe off any excess paint. ‘She’s not awake.’ He places the bowl onto the draining board, uncaring. His mother has scolded him many times for washing his painting bowls in the same space where she cooks. He’s sure she’s probably given up by now.

He switches the hot tap on, allowing the water to soak through the flannel. He wrings the water out before washing it again, using some of the washing liquid to mix into the fabric. It doesn’t take him long to wash all traces of paint from the flannel, although he notes that the fabric has started to stain after years of use.

He hangs it to dry on the radiator, wiping his hands on a tea-towel before returning it to its place on the oven handle. He hesitates for a moment before he turns to his brother.

‘Are you sharing?’

Itachi eyes him. It takes him several seconds for him to respond, waving a hand at the seat beside him. Sasuke takes the offer, pausing to grab a whiskey glass from the draining board. Itachi pores him a drink, which Sasuke downs in one mouthful. Itachi pours a second, filling his own.

‘Rough project?’

Sasuke rubs his stinging eyes, grunting. He sips his second glass, eyes gliding over to his brother. Itachi is already looking at him and Sasuke sighs, sensing the question that he’s been avoiding for the past month. ‘Don’t start.’

Itachi’s eyes are unblinking, ‘you only have a few weeks left to give them an answer.’

Sasuke swallows down the rest of his drink, running his fingers through his hair. ‘I don’t think I can… I can’t.’

Itachi blanches, blank facade disappearing as it is replaced by a look of annoyance. ‘You’re an Uchiha. There’s no such thing as _can’t._’

‘You sound like Father,’ Sasuke bites out, glaring.

Dark eyes narrow at him. ‘This is a great opportunity to get your work exposed. I thought that was what you wanted.’

Sasuke chews the inside of his cheeks, fingers itching towards the whiskey bottle. He watches the liquid pour into the glass, sloshing up the sides dangerously as he pours a little too much. ‘I don’t have a muse,’ he eventually murmurs. ‘I can’t set up an exhibition without even a muse to inspire me.’

Itachi takes a large sip from his own glass. ‘You need to get out - and I don’t mean going to that post-office to send off your little… packages. Getting outside might actually inspire you for once.’

Sasuke’s lips part, ready to argue back. But Itachi beats him to it.

‘You think we haven’t noticed how you never leave this house?’ Itachi side-eyes him. ‘Mother never says anything, but she worries about you not ever having any friends, Father too.’

Offended, Sasuke scoffs, ‘I have friends, Itachi.’

His brother looks at him, challenging. ‘Oh yeah? Name them.’

Sasuke splutters, ‘well, there’s the guys at the park… and there’s that kid from down the road. I see him at the library sometimes.’

Itachi’s glare darkens, ‘you can’t even tell me their names.’

‘I have friends, okay!?’ Sasuke yelps in a voice that is very un-Sasuke-like.

‘Name them, then,’ Itachi mocks. ‘Otherwise I’ll tell Mother that you really are a hermit with no-’

‘Naruto!’ Sasuke spits out the first name that comes to mind. He doesn’t even know why he said the blonde’s name, but it’s too late and now Itachi is staring at him, suspicious. ‘Naruto is my friend.’

‘Naruto, huh?’ Itachi repeats the name slowly. Sasuke feels his ears burn. ‘Who is this Naruto? You’ve never mentioned him before.’

Sasuke chugs down his whiskey in order to buy himself some time as he thinks of a half-lie. ‘We’ve been friends since high-school… he was in my art class, kind of bad at it, though. Everyone likes him. He’s a…. laugh.’

‘A laugh?’ Itachi repeats, fighting back one of his own.

‘Yes,’ Sasuke snaps, fingers curling around the whiskey bottle again. ‘So there. I have a friend. Tell Mother that.’

‘I’ll be sure to,’ a smile ghosts over Itachi’s lips. ‘Are you still in contact with this Naruto? You should invite him over sometime. It’d please Mother.’

Sasuke’s head whips to him, cheeks as red as his ears. Bingo.

‘Unless… you’re lying and this Naruto person isn’t actually real.’

‘He _is_ real!’ Sasuke doesn’t know why his voice is raised. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Or embarrassment. Or both.

‘Then prove it. Invite him over,’ Itachi challenges. ‘Maybe he can be your muse.’

Sasuke chokes on his drink and the alcohol burns his throat. He wheezes, eyes watering. ‘W-What?’

Itachi’s head tilts ever so slightly, expression stoic, ‘you heard me.’

‘I-I can’t just create an entire exhibition based on him-'

‘Why not?’ Itachi quips. ‘If he’s really your friend, I’m sure he won’t mind you drawing him.’ He stands from his seat, snatching the now nearly empty bottle from Sasuke’s reach.

‘Y-You can’t force someone to be your muse,’ Sasuke is exasperated. ‘It doesn’t work like that.’

Itachi is by the door now. ‘I’ve already told you; there’s no such thing as ‘can’t’ in this household.’ He waves the bottle towards his brother. ‘You won’t know until you try. Invite him over.’

And then he’s gone, leaving Sasuke to sit in the dark by himself.

Left to his thoughts, he pictures Naruto’s bright blonde hair and stupid smile that has been annoying Sasuke to no end since they were eleven years old. But as annoying as he is with his signature grin and loud personality, Sasuke has to admit that Naruto isn’t exactly an eyesore. The exact opposite, actually. Not that he’d ever admit that to the blonde; it’d probably go straight to his fat ego.

Maybe, just maybe, Naruto wouldn’t be completely opposed to the idea of Sasuke drawing him. They _had_ shared classes together, and Naruto _had_ helped him during a fight with a guy, whose name Sasuke cannot remember.

And the payout from the exhibition _would _be pretty good. Sasuke doesn’t know the exact price that had been offered - he’d only been half listening - but he knows it would be be a lot. Probably more than all that he’s earned from all of his commissions so far.

It doesn’t take long for him to change his mind.

Itachi was right.

They are Uchiha. There’s no such thing as can’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	3. [the double agent - 01]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- the plot begins.  


Uchiha Itachi is much more terrifying than his kid brother, Naruto has decided.

Unwilling to admit it out loud - _especially_ to Sai - Naruto had actually been looking forward to seeing Sasuke the following Saturday. He’d survived an entire week of childish teasing from his entire group of friends, who had _somehow_ found out about Naruto’s embarrassing encounter with the youngest Uchiha. It didn’t take long for Naruto to discover that Sai was the perpetrator. 

He’d dealt with the side comments about his sexuality - something that no longer bothered him - and had even shamefully allowed Kiba to find and stalk Sasuke’s social media. He’d protested at first - ‘Sasuke doesn’t have instagram,’ he’d spluttered - only to be proven wrong when Kiba immediately found Sasuke’s art page.

Naruto wasn’t expecting that.

He hadn’t ever taken Sasuke as an artist, but as he and Kiba spent the following hour scrolling through the Uchiha’s instagram page, Naruto couldn’t deny that Sasuke was talented. ‘Skilled fingers,’ Kiba had crudely commented, wiggling his eyebrows at Naruto, who elbowed him, cheeks warm. He’d been tempted to follow the elder’s page, encouraged by both Kiba and Sai, only to realise that by doing so, he’d have to admit that he’d willingly stalked through Sasuke’s account. Not an option.

So instead, he spent most of his day off, nosying through the dark haired male’s instagram page, even going as far as to look at his tagged photos. There were a few school photos, one with even Naruto sitting with Neji and Hinata in the background. Naruto stares at the photo, squinting at sixteen year old Sasuke who was side-eyeing the camera, clearly unamused. Naruto didn’t recognise the others in the photograph, apart from Shikamaru, who looked as equally bored as Sasuke. A smile had played with the corner of Naruto’s lips.

He’d scrolled through the rest uninterestingly, all the way down to the first post that Sasuke had been tagged in. Curiosity had peaked and tanned fingers, careful to not accidentally like the post, had clicked, zooming in.

Sasuke was older in this photo, it looked as if it had only been taken recently, Naruto had thought.

But this photo was different, Naruto had realised. Sasuke’s smile was genuine, spread so wide that it reached his eyes. Something that the blonde had stared at for so long that he almost didn’t realise that Sasuke wasn’t alone in the photograph. Sat beside him was a young man that shared the exact same grin, eyes almost squeezed shut because he was smiling so widely. But despite the other man’s hair being longer and his frame slightly muscular, taller than Sasuke’s, the resemblance was uncanny.

And right now, as Naruto awkwardly shifts on the front porch of the Uchiha residence, he can’t help but stare.

Sasuke isn’t home, much to Naruto’s disappointment. And just as Sasuke had promised, Itachi had been the one to answer the door. And as he watches the eldest Uchiha sign for Sasuke’s package, Naruto doesn’t look away. Itachi isn’t smiling like he was in that photo on instagram. His expression is in true Uchiha fashion, unnervingly stoic, loose hair falling into his eyes as they skim over the sheet of paper that Naruto had practically thrown at him in panic.

The silence makes his stomach twist with nerves and Naruto flinches when Itachi finally looks up, their gazes meeting. The elder holds the paper out to Naruto, unblinking as they carefully watch Naruto shove it back into his bag. The blonde looks up, flickering away nervously when he realises Itachi is still looking at him. He makes a move to step away.

‘H-Have a nice day-’

‘Naruto, right?’

Itachi’s smile is sickly.

Naruto is panicked.

He has no idea how the eldest Uchiha son knows his name. Maybe Sasuke told him?

No. Naruto frowns, Sasuke wouldn’t tell his brother Naruto’s name, especially when Naruto barely even recalled attending the same school as him. Or maybe that’s the exact reason why Sasuke told Itachi. Maybe Sasuke was so angry that Naruto hadn’t remembered, and now Itachi is going to hit Naruto so hard that he never forgets?

No, Naruto grimaces. Why would Itachi do such a thing? He doesn’t even know who Naruto is.

Itachi’s stare is wavering into a frown and Naruto nervously clears his throat.

‘Uh,’ he starts dumbly, swallowing down his nerves. ‘Yeah?’

Itachi looks at him properly then, eyes trailing up and down the blonde’s lean frame. Naruto doesn’t know where to look so he resorts to peering over Itachi’s shoulder. He sees a family photograph bolted to the wall, but it’s too far away for him to make out the expression on Sasuke’s face.

‘Perfect,’ he thinks he hears Itachi mutter.

‘Huh?’

Itachi’s frightening smile broadens. He steps to the side, pushing the door open wider. ‘Sasuke will be back soon. You’re welcome to wait for him inside.’

Naruto is confused.

He jabs a thumb over his shoulder, ‘actually, I have to-’

‘He won’t be long,’ Itachi insists, still smiling.

Naruto isn’t really given much choice. He knows that he should head back to the shop now that he’s finished delivering his packages, but Itachi’s hand is now on his shoulder, leading him inside. The front door quietly clicks shut and Naruto pauses inside the hallway, unsure of what to do.

‘I think there’s been a misunderstandin’-’

‘The kitchen is this way,’ Itachi cuts his sentence short. He points to the mat beside the door, a range of shoes stacked together neatly. ‘You can leave your shoes there.’

There’s an authoritative tone in the elder’s voice that leaves no room for argument, and Naruto doesn’t even question it. He obediently does as he’s told and he quietly follows Itachi down the hall, into the kitchen.

The inside of the Uchiha household is just as grand and as elegant on the inside as it looks on the outside. The walls are painted white, the expensive looking furniture arranged neatly. It’s spotless, Naruto notes, almost afraid that he’s dirtying the wooden floor with his worn socks. There’s a hole in the left one, he realises, cheeks hot as he prays that Itachi doesn’t notice, embarrassed.

He shuffles into the kitchen, reluctantly taking a seat at the dining table when Itachi offers it to him.

‘Do you drink coffee?’

‘Uh, no, sorry.’

‘Tea? Hot chocolate? Water? Whiskey?’

Naruto eyes the clock on the wall. It’s a little past four in the afternoon. He looks at the awaiting Itachi, unsure if the elder is joking. When he finds no sign of amusement, Naruto all but squeaks, ‘water is good.’ He swallows, adding, ‘please.’

Itachi pours two glasses, setting one in front of Naruto, who is almost too afraid to touch it. He watches Itachi sit opposite him, chugging down half of his drink in one swig.

‘Okay,’ Itachi says, setting his glass onto the table. Dark orbs meet blue ones, and Naruto is almost afraid of what the elder is about to say next. ‘You are Naruto. Correct?’

Naruto’s confusion is deepening. ‘Yes, I already-’

‘Good,’ Itachi cuts him off again. He’s not looking at Naruto now, but he’s sat upright, his posture rigid.

Naruto begins to think that maybe Itachi really is about to hit him.

‘You went to the same school with my brother, yes?’

‘…Yeah?’

‘And you would describe yourself as his friend?’

Naruto is stumped, ‘has somethin’ happened to Sasuke?’

‘Answer the question, please.’

The sickly smile has made a reappearance and Naruto is beginning to regret asking Sai to switch shifts with him. Itachi is silent as he awaits his answer and Naruto isn’t even sure what to answer with. He could lie, and maybe it would save him a punch in the face. But then if his lie was ever found out, Itachi would probably hit him twice as hard. The thought isn’t exactly appealing, and so Naruto settles for reluctantly telling him the truth. 

‘Well… not exactly.’

A dark eyebrow rises.

‘We went to school together, yeah, but to be honest, I don’t even really remember Sasuke.’

Itachi’s eyes are narrowed now. Naruto speaks quickly.

‘I-I mean,’ he splutters. ‘I remember him in first year, ‘cause I helped him fight this guy that was fuckin-’ He clears his throat, correcting himself, ‘messin’ with him, I mean. Neji remembers Sasuke being in our class for years but my memory is kinda shit… Rubbish - my memory is rubbish.’

Itachi’s expression is vacant now.

‘I only seen Sasuke last week, for the first time in years, really.’

‘Saw.’

Naruto blinks, ‘eh?’

‘Saw,’ Itachi repeats, correcting him. ‘You _saw _Sasuke for the first time in years.’

Naruto’s cheeks are warm once more, ‘…right.’

‘Hm,’ Itachi hums, eyebrows furrowed.

‘H-Has somethin’ happened?’ Naruto dares to ask. ‘Did I do somethin’-?’

‘Not at all.’

Itachi isn’t looking at him. He finishes his glass of water, frown deepening. His expression stoic, he asks, ‘what did you study for your bachelors course?’

‘Science of Sports,’ Naruto’s answer is almost whispered, taken aback by the change of subject.

Itachi isn’t surprised. Naruto’s frame is lean but it’s obvious that he works out, right bicep flexing every time he adjusts his delivery bag further up his shoulder.

He’s not stupid. He knew that Sasuke had been lying through his teeth that night, and Naruto has just confirmed his suspicions. Which has now made things much, much easier.

‘Okay,’ he breaks the silence. ‘This is how this is going to go.’ He leans forward, elbows leaning on the table as he lowers his head to look Naruto into the eye. He ignores the blonde’s flinch. ‘My brother is an artist - you’ll know that from when you took the time to snoop through his account and like a six month old photograph of him and myself. An accident, I assume.’

He doesn’t even give Naruto the chance to be embarrassed about being caught red handed.

‘He’s been called up to create an exhibition for a very renowned photographer. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I refuse to let Sasuke throw it away over a bout of artist’s block.’

Naruto is lost.

‘He can’t find his muse,’ Itachi states, eyes narrowed.

‘What’s that got to do with-?’

‘You will be his muse.’

Naruto snorts. Loudly. He doesn’t mean to, it just slips out. And unsurprisingly, he sees that Itachi’s expression is anything but amused. ‘I’m sorry, what?’

‘You will be his muse,’ Itachi repeats.

The blonde is gawking now.

‘But-’

‘Sasuke has worked for years - not that you’d remember - on building his portfolio.’ Itachi pretends to not see Naruto’s guilty expression. ‘He’s worked too hard to get this far and fail just because he cannot find a muse.’

Naruto blows air from between his lips. ‘I suck at art. I can’t even draw a stickman without fuckin’ it up. How’d you expect me to help him? ‘Specially when I barely know him?’

‘Then get to know him.’

Itachi is serious, Naruto knows this.

‘Befriend my brother, let him draw you. Let him use this,’ he waves a dismissive hand up and down Naruto’s body. Naruto doesn’t know if he should feel offended. ‘However he needs to create his exhibition.’ There’s a pause. ‘You’re obviously interested in my brother,’ Itachi reminds Naruto of his embarrassment. Tanned cheeks blush. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t have been disappointed when you _saw _that it was me who answered the door and not him.’

Naruto is scowling now.

Itachi ignores it. ‘Use this as your chance to befriend him.’

The idea is almost appealing. Except for the fact that Naruto knows that he’s being blackmailed. ‘And if he finds out that you’re setting us up?’

‘He won’t,’ Itachi’s tone is darker now. Naruto hears the warning. ‘He needs this.’ Itachi eyes the door, ‘he needs friends.’

Naruto frowns, ‘Sasuke has friends… don’t he?’

But as soon as he utters the words, Naruto knows the answer. Even he remembers the youngest Uchiha brother being… a loner. Not once had Naruto seen him with friends, and maybe that’s why it had been so easy for Naruto to completely forget Sasuke’s existence. For Naruto, it is easier to recognise a person when they associate with someone that he knows. A friend of a friend, of sorts.

But Sasuke wasn’t ever one of those people.

Maybe pity was the reason why he helped Sasuke fight Yahiko all those years ago. He’s not sure.

But one thing he is sure of that this plan of Itachi’s isn’t anything to do with Sasuke’s art nor the exhibition. He’s worried. Watching over younger siblings is a duty and whilst Naruto doesn’t relate, he can understand.

Itachi is setting them up to protect his brother from loneliness.

‘Sasuke tried to convince me that the two of you are friends,’ Itachi tells him. ‘As far as he’s aware, I believe his lie. He will continue to think so.’

Naruto doesn’t seem to be listening, gaze vacant as he stares down at the tabletop.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door swinging open makes Naruto jolt in his seat, practically falling over as he scrambles to stand. Itachi watches him, hiding his amusement as soon as Sasuke enters the room.

There’s a tense silence.

‘Brother,’ Sasuke addresses Itachi, eyes glued to Naruto. His blank expression gives nothing away but Itachi knows that he’s already thinking of a way to make his tale convincing. 

‘Sasuke,’ Itachi greets him, hiding his smile as he snatches Naruto’s abandoned glass of water, swallowing a large mouthful. ‘Your friend Naruto here delivered your package,’ Itachi gestures the box that Naruto doesn’t even remember him placing onto the counter. ‘I invited him in for a drink.’

Sasuke is still staring, Naruto sees.

‘Is that so?’

Naruto swallows, forcing a laugh. ‘Aha, yeah…’ He scratches the back of his neck, embarrassed. ‘About that... I should head off, Asuma will be wonderin’ where I am.’

‘Let me see you out-’

‘No,’ Sasuke interrupts his brother. ‘I’ll do it. I need to ask Naruto something, anyway.’

‘I was the one who invited him in,’ Itachi insists.

‘He’s _my_ friend,’ Sasuke spits.

Itachi’s smile is slight, ‘very well.’

Naruto’s eyes flicker to Itachi for a brief second, before forcing another grin. He offers Itachi a goodbye, who returns it with a small wave, eyes warning. Naruto pretends to not see. Sasuke doesn’t speak as he leads Naruto out of the kitchen and down the hall.

Surprisingly, the dark haired male accompanies Naruto all the way back down the driveway, unblinking eyes scornfully watching Naruto as he hoists a leg over his bike.

Naruto is uncomfortable under his gaze. He’s about to leave, ready to abandon Itachi’s plan because he’s convinced that it’ll never work. Sasuke isn’t stupid, Naruto thinks. He’d figure out what he’s up to and then Naruto would have ruined his chance to befriend him _and _earned himself a punch or two from Itachi for ruining his plans to make Sasuke famous or whatever.

But just as he’s about to give up before he’s even tried, a hand curls around his wrist, preventing him from moving. Naruto eyes the paled skin before looking up to meet Sasuke’s conflicted expression.

‘I need a favour.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	4. [the double agent - 02]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- apologies for the late update; i hope this makes up for the wait :’)  


‘You want me to... what?’

Sasuke’s jaw clenches. His eyes are glaring but he’s unable to hide the pink that has flushed the tips of his ears. Embarrassed, Naruto realises. Sasuke is embarrassed.

Sasuke sighs heavily, eyes squeezing shut tight before snapping open an instant later.

‘I _need_ you to be my friend.’

Naruto blinks.

‘Or pretend to,’ Sasuke corrects himself. ‘Just to get my brother off my back.’

Naruto’s brows furrow. ‘O-kay,’ he drawls.   


It doesn’t take him long to understand what is happening. And whilst he feels uncomfortable lying to Sasuke, he feels that the consequences would be much worse if he were to defy Itachi. He’s unsure of what to do.

Sasuke eyes him, ‘you’re not going to make this weird, are you?’

Naruto peers at him, tilting his head to flick his fringe from his eyes.

‘I just need to convince Itachi that I’m not...’ Sasuke pauses, frown deepening. He looks at Naruto, ‘we’re not _actually_ friends. Just come over when I need you to pretend.’

Naruto fights back the urge to wince. He’s not stupid. He knows that he’s being used by Itachi, and now his kid brother. And although he should decline, tell both Uchiha brothers that he wanted out, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Itachi had been right. He’d been interested in Sasuke from the moment he’d covered Sai’s shift. And whilst he felt a _tiny_ amount of guilt for even thinking so, but Itachi had been correct when he’d said that this was Naruto’s chance to make up for not remembering Sasuke.

Maybe the two of them would eventually come to form a genuine friendship.

However, with one look at the bored expression on the youngest Uchiha’s face, Naruto’s hopes diminish into nothing. His cheeks warm as he averts his gaze, mumbling, ‘what’s your number?’

Sasuke glares, ‘do you really think I’m going to tell you my phone number?’

Naruto’s grin is coy, ‘then how am I s‘posed to know when you need me?’

There’s a pause as Sasuke looks at Naruto.

‘You’re actually going to do this?’

A minuscule frown pinches between the blonde’s eyebrows. ‘Do you not wanna?’

Sasuke eyes him, shoving his hand into the front pocket of his shorts. ‘Why?’

Naruto struggles to think of a lie.

‘Why would you help me? We barely know each other,’ Sasuke presses.

The blonde shrugs, ‘I dunno.’

Dark eyes narrow, ‘you don’t know?’

Naruto shrugs again, hands tightening around the handlebars of his bike. ‘I just don’t like seeing people alone, ya know?’

Sasuke did know.

During the entirety of his time at both Konoha High and at the Academy of Konoha, not once had he ever known Naruto to leave people out.Maybe that was what had made him so popular. His easy going personality and his infectious laughter was something that easily drew people towards him. And whilst Sasuke was - and still is - the type to shy away from unwanted attention, Naruto had been quite the opposite. He thrived with the attention of many, ensuring that he gave back just as much as he received.

Sasuke would never admit that he’d watched Naruto from the shadows during their time at school. He would also never admit that he’d been envious. Of Naruto, or of the blonde’s ever growing group of friends, Sasuke isn’t sure.

But he definitely isn’t going to admit to just how much he hated being alone.

Sure, he has Itachi and his parents, and even his cousin, Shisui. But Itachi had been painfully correct. He has nobody to call a friend. And as he looks at Naruto, part of him dares to imagine a very different experience at school.

No.

Sasuke wouldn’t allow it.

He’s doing this to avert Itachi from hounding him about his embarrassing lack of friendships. And possibly gain a muse at the same time - a fact that he refuses to let the blonde in on. He just has to pretend until he’s finished preparing for the exhibition and then they can go their separate ways.

Although, he’s still struggling to understand why Naruto would be willing to agree.

He eyes the blonde carefully.

‘Okay.’

Naruto looking at him with wide eyes. Sasuke squirms, his ears reddened once more.

He doesn’t look at Naruto as he fishes his phone from his pocket. He taps in the passcode, unlocking the device and shoving it under Naruto’s nose. When the blonde doesn’t accept it, Sasuke’s glare returns. 

‘Are you going to put your number in or not?’

It takes a few seconds for Naruto to do as requested, quickly handing the device back to its owner. Their hands touch and Naruto instantly recoils. Sasuke’s frown darkens but Naruto isn’t even looking at him to notice.

‘’Kay,’ he murmurs. ‘Well, just lemme know when you need me to... pretend.’

He doesn’t even give Sasuke the chance to respond, kicking his bike into gear. He’s already halfway down the street, long out of Sasuke’s sight, before the Uchiha brings his feet to move. He takes his time as he makes his way back up to the house, still bewildered by Naruto’s reaction.

He’s still in thought as he gently closes the front door shut behind him. He doesn’t even notice Itachi approach him as he’s kicking off his shoes from his feet.

‘He’s very good looking.’

Sasuke’s eyes snap upwards to see his brother leaning against the doorframe. A knowing smirk teases Itachi’s lips. It unnerves Sasuke, who pretends to not have seen it.

‘Who?’

Itachi’s smirk widens. 

‘No, he’s not,’ Sasuke glares once he realises whom his brother is referring to. ‘He’s a moron. All he does is laugh... and smile... and he’s just... he’s just _annoying_.’

‘And good looking,’ Itachi adds. ‘_Very_ good looking.’

Sasuke isn’t stupid. He knows what his brother is hinting at. And whilst his annoyance has peaked, he can’t disagree. So instead, he lies.

‘Not good looking enough.’

Itachi snorts, ‘if you expect me to believe your denial, you may want to work on your deception skills.’

For a moment, Sasuke is panicked. He assumes that Itachi has seen through his lie and immediately feels the blush that crawls up the back of his neck. His lips part as he desperately thinks of something - absolutely _anything_ \- to make Itachi believe him.

When he comes up with nothing, he swiftly changes the subject, ‘why’d you invite him in anyway?’

Itachi is watching him with knowing eyes and Sasuke hates it. ‘Is it such a crime to want to get to know my little brother’s friend?’

‘Yes,’ Sasuke immediately spits out. ‘Mind your own business.’

He knows that Itachi won’t listen.

‘Nice try,’ the annoying smirk has returned. ‘Invite him over for dinner tomorrow.’

‘Can’t,’ Sasuke lies, taking a step towards the staircase. ‘He’s busy tomorrow.’ 

‘On a Sunday?’ Itachi questions.

Sasuke is beginning to tire of his brother’s presence. ‘Yes, on a Sunday. People do go out at the weekend. They don’t all spend their weekends shut in at home, you know.’

‘You mean,’ Itachi’s smile is cruel, teasing. ‘Like yourself?’

Sasuke’s left eye twitches.

Itachi’s words hurt more than he expects them to and he swallows down the bitter taste at the back of his throat. He’s not wrong, though, Sasuke silently agrees. When was the last time he went out at the weekend, other than to stop by the post-office in town? He doesn’t even remember.

Shame and embarrassment colour his cheeks and even Itachi has the decency to look guilty.

‘He seems like a nice kid,’ Itachi says. 

‘He is,’ Sasuke breathes, eyes unblinking as he stares down at his feet.

Before either of them can speak, the sound of the front door being pushed open steals their attention.

Mikoto is the first to enter the house, her husband following close behind. ‘Oh, boys,’ she greets, startled by their presence. She removes her shoes, Fugaku greeting his sons with a nod of his head before mimicking his wife’s actions. ‘What are you both doing standing in the hallway?’

‘Fighting again?’ Fugaku chimes in, rattling his keys in the lock before hooking them up onto the wall.

‘No,’ Itachi answers for the both of them.

Sasuke watches as the questioning twinkles in his mother’s eyes and turns his head away, cheeks flushed. 

‘Then what?’ Fugaku asks, impatient. Mikoto is silent, regarding their youngest son with worried eyes. Sasuke avoids her gaze.

Itachi’s arms cross over his arms and both he and Sasuke share a glance. Sasuke silently begs his brother the unspoken demand, but much to his horror, Itachi completely ignores him. With wide eyes, he watches Itachi turn to their parents, big smile plastered to his face.

Sasuke takes a step towards him, ‘don’t-’

But it’s too late.

‘Sasuke has a guest joining us for dinner tomorrow.’

Sasuke’s eyes close.

His stomach churns and without his control, his fists clench by his sides.

‘He does?’ Mikoto is unable both her surprise and her relief. When Sasuke dares to open his eyes, even his father looks surprised. His embarrassment makes him feel nauseous.

‘You do?’ Fugaku repeats his wife’s question.

Sasuke doesn’t answer, his eyes trained on his brother. Itachi is fighting back a laugh and it angers Sasuke all the more further.

Mikoto is throwing her coat on the stand by the door, shoving her handbag into Fugaku’s hands as she rushes forward, grabbing Sasuke’s hands.

‘Really, Sasuke?’

His stomach sinks at the sight of the hopeful expression on her face. Is he really so pathetic that his parents become this excited at the first mention of a guest? It nauseates him. But whilst he wants nothing more than to smack the smug grin from Itachi’s face and tell his parents the truth, he can’t bring himself to do it. His mother looks as if she’s going to spare a tear or two, and even his father has a look of some form of respect glued to his face.

So instead, Sasuke swallows down his pride and reluctantly nods.

‘Oh! Thank god!’ Mikoto cries, flinging her arms around her youngest son’s shoulders. Bewildered, Sasuke stumbles backwards before steadying himself. Mikoto withdraws, hands holding Sasuke shoulders. She’s crying now, and even Fugaku looks shocked by her reaction. Mikoto smooths down Sasuke’s hair with her fingers, ignoring his squirming. Watery eyed, she stares at him. ‘I told you,’ she addresses her husband. She draws Sasuke in for another hug, her grip surprisingly strong. ‘I told you that he was normal. He _does_ have friends.’

Itachi doesn’t even bother to hide his amused snort of laughter.

Sasuke’s eyes close again, humiliated.

The hug doesn’t last long. She pulls away, only to grab Sasuke’s wrist, pulling him down the hall. He stumbles over his feet to catch up to her as she drags him into the kitchen, pushing him into a seat. Curious, both Itachi and Fugaku follow, joining Sasuke at the table. The trio peer at her as she fumbles around with pulling dishes out of the cupboards, lining the counter-tops with almost every piece of pottery that they own.

It is Fugaku who asks, ‘what is this guest’s name?’

Mikoto stills, also looking at Sasuke as they await his answer.

The young Uchiha glares down at the tabletop as he mutters, ‘Naruto.’

Fugaku repeats the name, brows furrowed, ‘I don’t recall-’

‘Oh!’ Mikoto exclaims excitedly. ‘Little Uzumaki Naruto!?’ Her smile is stretched wide. ‘Although, I expect he isn’t so little anymore.’

‘Far from it,’ Itachi mumbles. Sasuke ignores the knowing smile in his brother’s voice.

‘You know him?’ He asks his mother instead.

Mikoto stands, hand on one hip, an empty mixing bowl in the other. ‘Of course! Kushina and Minato used to take him to the same daycare we took you to...’ Her tone quietens, and even Fugaku looks reserved. ‘After they passed, Iruka adopted him, and, well, you know the rest.’ She turns, hiding her saddened expression.

Sasuke doesn’t know.

He hadn’t been aware that Naruto’s parents had passed away.

He’s unsure of why he feels guilt for the blonde’s loss. Aside from the occasional bouts of anger, Naruto has never shown any sign of sadness, for as long as Sasuke has known him. He’s never shown any sign of loneliness.

But still, he cannot shake the guilt from him.

‘He’s always been a lovely boy,’ Mikoto comments, breaking Sasuke from his thoughts. ‘Loud, but lovely.’

The corner of Sasuke’s lips tilt upward.

‘Yeah,’ he agrees quietly.

‘What food does he like?’ Mikoto suddenly asks him.

‘Food?’ Sasuke repeats. 

Mikoto indicates the pots and pans on the counter. ‘Yes! This is his first time coming to the house,’ she huffs. Neither Itachi or Sasuke bother to correct her. ‘I should make him something that he likes.’

‘Make anything,’ Sasuke doesn’t understand the fuss, nor does he doubt that Naruto would eat just about anything. He does remembers the blonde consuming an abnormal amount of instant ramen during their school years, though. ‘Ramen.’

‘Ramen?’ Mikoto’s frown is disapproving.

Sasuke shrugs, ‘he usually eats the instant stuff. It’s his favourite.’ He silently hopes that Naruto still enjoys the meal as much as he used to. Even Itachi eyes him, dubious. 

Mikoto tuts, shaking her head. ‘Homemade is better,’ she mutters, turning away once more. 

Not long after, Sasuke excuses himself. Itachi is quick to follow him down the hall, much to his frustration.

Overtaking his brother on the stairs, Itachi calls over his shoulder, ‘no such thing as can’t.’

‘I _hate_ you,’ Sasuke hisses.

Itachi pauses, turning to look at him. ‘Believe it or not, this is for your benefit.’

‘Yes, of course, dear brother,’ Sasuke spits, eyes narrowed into slits. ‘How the _fuck_ could I forget that you embarrassing the hell out of me in front of our parents, is purely for my benefit? Silly me.’

‘Don’t act like a child, Sasuke,’ Itachi chides him. ‘It doesn’t suit you.’

‘Fuck off, Itachi. You knew that I didn’t want to invite him over,’ Sasuke snaps, his voice raising without him even intending. ‘You had no right to interfere.’

Itachi’s eyes narrow to match his kid brother’s glare, ‘a little appreciation wouldn’t hurt. I did you a favour. Now Mother thinks you’re actually _normal_.’

Something inside Sasuke snaps and before he can force himself to hide his complete and utter humiliation, he lunges. He doesn’t even feel his fist connecting with the side of Itachi’s face, or the kick that he aims at his brother’s torso.

It isn’t until Fugaku is grasping the back of his shirt, yanking him backwards, that he realises what he’s done.

‘What is going on!?’ Fugaku demands, voice loud.

Sasuke seethes, ripping himself free from his father’s grip. He scowls at the blood dripping Itachi’s chin, a small part of him reeling in his accomplishment to actually land a hit. If the punch hurt, Itachi doesn’t let it show, silently glaring back down at him as Mikoto rushes forward with a cloth to mop up the blood.

‘Well!?’

‘Nothing,’ the two answer in unison.

‘I thought you’d both grown out of this,’ Mikoto sighs at her sons, allowing Itachi to clean himself up.

‘Clearly not,’ Sasuke answers back, proud of himself when he bites down the grunt of pain that follows the whack his father aims at the back of his head.

‘Watch your tongue,’ Fugaku warns him.

Sasuke doesn’t answer. Instead, he ignores the questioning gaze of his mother, stalking past his brother as he rushes up the stairs. Locking himself away in his room, he leans against the door, breathing a pained sigh. His hand shakes as he raises his fist to inspect the damage. Itachi’s face is harder than he expected, his knuckles already swelling from the impact. Sasuke doesn’t doubt that his brother will probably look much worse in the morning.

Scuffling over to his bed, he collapses onto the mattress, blinking back the bite in his eyes that threatens to spill down his cheeks. He lays back. He doesn’t know much time passes, but he ignores his mother’s call for dinner, especially pretending to not hear Itachi softly calling his name from the other side of the door some time after.

By the time he finally rises from his bed, after jolting from slumber, it is dark outside.

He pulls his aching body upright, groaning as his knuckles brush against the duvet. Bleary eyed, he glares down at the purple bruise that has already begun to taint the pale skin underneath. His irritation causes his teeth to grit, especially when he thinks of the subject of his alteration with Itachi.

It is some time before he decides to contact Naruto.

It takes even longer for him to build the courage to find his mobile phone, fingers unsteady as he types in the passcode.

He stares at the little smiley face the blonde had added next to his name. His thumb hovers over the call button, reluctant when he notices that it’s already eleven pm. Maybe Naruto is already asleep. But with how social the blonde is - or used to be - Sasuke doesn’t take him for the type to sleep early. Especially at the weekend.

He presses the button before he can stop himself.

The phone rings several times. And just before Sasuke is about to give up and end the call, there’s a silence that he recognises as Naruto having answered. There’s a shuffling noise, as if the microphone is being dragged across fabric, and Sasuke hears the blonde’s voice.

‘Kiba,’ Naruto’s voice growls down the phone. It’s obvious that Sasuke has woken him from sleep, the blonde’s voice heavy, groggy with sleep. ‘I already fuckin’ told you that I’m not comin’ out tonight. Piss off ‘fore I block your fuckin’ number, you-’

‘I’m not Kiba,’ Sasuke finally says. 

There’s a pause. 

‘’Ske?’

Sasuke’s stomach twists as Naruto sleepily mumbles his name into the speaker. To his annoyance, he feels his ears burn.

‘Yes,’ is all he offers.

The sound of shuffling meets Sasuke’s ears once more.

And then Naruto speaks again, sounding tired, but more awake, ‘sorry. I thought you were my friend.’

Sasuke’s eye twitches at the word. And it’s clear that Naruto has realised his poor choice of wording, rushing to explain.

‘I-I mean, my friend, Kiba.’

‘Does this Kiba have a habit of waking you up?’ Sasuke asks without even realising that he’s biting back a smile. 

The sound of Naruto’s exhausted laugh makes his stomach twist a second time. ‘Summin’ like that.’ He listens to the blonde stifle a yawn.

There’s a brief pause before Naruto speaks again.

‘Uh, is there summin’ you needed?’

Sasuke doesn’t answer right away. 

‘’Ske?’

‘Yeah?’

Sasuke clears his throat, thankful that Naruto cannot see the blush that he can feel heating his cheeks. He runs his fingers through his hair. 

‘Can you do me another favour?’

He hears Naruto move again, probably sitting up, Sasuke guesses. ‘S-Sure, what’s up?’

Sasuke doesn’t miss the way Naruto’s voice stumbles and it eases the knot in his stomach to know that he’s not the only one who feels anxious.

Sasuke licks his lips, exhaling through his nostrils as he finally gives in to Itachi’s request, angered with himself that it didn’t take much persuading. He huffs once more, ignoring the sound of Naruto gulping down a drink from the other end of the line. His fingers tremble as he picks at strand of hair, his voice muffled as he leans against his hand.

‘Are you free tomorrow?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	5. [fine dining]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- a glimpse into naruto’s past towards the end of the chapter. this will be developed in later chapters.  
\- thank you for 50 kudos; it truly means a lot.  


Naruto thinks that dinner went as well as it possibly could have. 

He’d been welcomed into the house by Mikoto’s arms immediately pulling him in for an unexpected hug. Naruto had blurted out a loud bark of laughter, shocking the three Uchiha men as he enthusiastically returned Mikoto’s hug. He’d then been ushered into the living room, where Itachi had invited Naruto for a game of chess, much to Sasuke’s disappointment. The sulking raven head had watched as his father perched on the edge of the sofa, engaging with Naruto in a conversation about sports, as Mikoto busied herself in the kitchen.

Naruto was good at multi-tasking, Sasuke had to give it to him. Although, Itachi had beat Naruto several times, due to the blonde’s demands of a repeated series of rematches. Eventually, he had given up and Itachi had leaned back in his seat, fighting back an amused as Naruto groaned, defeated.

Fugaku had then asked Naruto about his chosen studies at university, and Naruto had began to ramble about his studies in Science of Sports, albeit admitting that the essay writing had definitely _not_ been his forte.

‘Prefer bein’ out on the field, ya know?’

Even Itachi had seemed interested.

Sasuke had decided that it had been safe enough to leave the trio to their conversation. 

Joining his mother in the kitchen, he’d been surprised to see her proud smile, eyes watery.

‘Oh Sasuke!’ She’s exclaimed, throwing her arms around his shoulders, ladle swinging wildly in one hand. ‘He’s absolutely _gorgeous_!’

That definitely wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting. And when he’d asked her to elaborate, he’d immediately regretted it.

‘He’s beautiful, Sasuke! And your father! Your father likes him, I can tell,’ she’d gushed, turning back to the large pot of stew that had been cooking since the mid morning. ‘You’ve picked well,’ she’d beamed. ‘Although, it would have been nice if you had actually come out to your father and I beforehand.’

‘W-What?’ Sasuke had spluttered, gobsmacked. ‘We’re not dating!’

‘Not yet,’ Mikoto had teased.

Cheeks red, Sasuke groaned, ‘we’re _just_ friends, Mother.’

Mikoto had hummed dismissively, leaving an infuriated Sasuke to return to the living room to inform the others that dinner was nearly ready.

Seated around the dining table, Naruto had hoovered up two servings of pork ramen, as well as a large helping of the vegetable stew that Mikoto had cooked, just in case Naruto didn’t eat meat. It had shocked even Fugaku, before the elder man had slapped a hand on Naruto’s shoulder, chuckling something about growing boys.

‘He’s twenty-two,’ Sasuke had reminded his father, shocked at his father’s easy laughter. Even Itachi had stared at the eldest Uchiha as if he’d sprouted a second head.

Naruto’s head had ducked, blush tainting his tanned cheeks, as he mumbled an excuse about being able to burn it off when he played football. His favourite sport, Sasuke later learned.

Naruto had gushed about how _amazing_ Mikoto’s cooking had been. Mikoto had grinned, and much to Sasuke’s horror, had offered Naruto an indefinite invitation to join them for dinner whenever he liked.

Afterwards, the family had moved back into the living room, Itachi offering one last game of chess.

‘Okay, but Imma beat you this time,’ Naruto had bragged.

And lost. Again. 

Sasuke had to chew the inside of his cheek to stop himself from smiling at the scowl Naruto had shot at his brother as Sasuke guided him to the front door after the blonde announced that he needed to be home as he had work early the next day.

After thanking his parents more times than Sasuke could stand, Naruto had waved one last time before allowing Sasuke to drag him out of the house.

And as Naruto finishes tying his shoelace, his smile broadens.

Yes, dinner had went very well.

Sasuke silently follows Naruto down the driveway, hesitating as he watches Naruto unlock his bike from the gate.

‘You can bring it inside next time,’ he breaks the silence. Naruto looks at him then, round eyes wide.

‘Next time?’

Sasuke’s hands are stuffed into the pockets of his jumper. ‘They like you.’

Naruto’s smile is shy. 

Sasuke pretends that it doesn’t affect him, but inside, the sight makes his own cheeks warm. He’s just glad that it’s dark enough outside that Naruto can’t notice. Sasuke clears his throat, ‘thanks for coming today.’

Naruto hums, ‘no problem.’

‘I mean it,’ Sasuke says. ‘I didn’t think this... _thing_ was going to work. But they like you,’ he repeats.

‘And you?’

Sasuke’s eyes meet Naruto’s.

_‘You’ve picked well.’_

Sasuke blinks, looking away first.

‘I don’t really know you.’

Naruto nods, ‘fair enough.’

He doesn’t seem offended, but it doesn’t stop Sasuke from adding, ‘yet.’

He doesn’t see Naruto’s hidden smile, the blonde turning away from him to hoist a leg over his bike.

‘Your mum cooks ramen really well.’

Sasuke scoffs at the compliment.

‘Stew, too.’

‘You’ve said, a hundred times,’ Sasuke points out. It is Naruto’s cheeks that warm this time. He forces out a laugh before the smile falls from his face. He glances over his shoulder, down at the raven head’s hands.

‘I dunno what happened,’ he starts carefully. ‘But avoid hittin’ your brother, ‘kay?’ His eyes lift to meet Sasuke’s. ‘Bruises don’t suit his pretty face.’

It takes several seconds for Sasuke to realise what Naruto just said, the other already beginning to bike his way home.

‘Itachi is _not_ pretty!’ 

Naruto’s loud cackle of laughter is the last thing Sasuke hears, watching Naruto’s retreating form until he disappears from view.

๑

‘Went well, I take it?’

Kakashi pounces on him as soon as Naruto returns home.

‘Naruto’s home?’ Iruka calls from the living room, emerging in the doorway to see for himself.

The blonde barely has time to remove his trainers before his dad is beckoning him into the living room, insisting that Naruto tells them every detail of his visit. Naruto flops down in the armchair by the fire, watching as his dad curls into Kakashi’s side, the two each nursing a mug of coffee.

Smile gracing his lips, he recounts his visit in as much detail as he can remember.

‘God, the food was amazing,’ Naruto sighs, eyes closing as he leans his head back against the chair. ‘My stomach still hurts.’

‘You didn’t clear them out, did you?’ Kakashi teases. Iruka hides his smile behind the rim of his mug.

Naruto scoffs out a laugh, already beginning to doze off in the chair.

‘I’m glad you had fun,’ Iruka comments, pressing closer to Kakashi, who hums an agreement. ‘Even though it’s definitely an odd way to make friends.’ 

Naruto peels a heavily lidded eye open, lazily waggling a finger at his dad. ‘If you ever meet him, I never told you ‘bout any of this stuff.’

‘_If we meet him_, he says,’ Kakashi mutters, eyes rolling. But the smirk tugging his lips upwards only widens when Naruto flips up a long middle finger.

‘I mean it,’ Naruto. ‘If he finds out I blabbed, he’ll kill me.’

‘Ah,’ Kakashi exhales. ‘Nothing beats modern day romance like a fake relationship built between a jock and a loner. Brings a tear to my eye.’ He feigns wiping said tear from his left eye. 

Naruto snorts.

Iruka laughs, patting Kakashi’s chest, ‘honey, we don’t say the word ‘jock’ - we’re not American.’

‘Fine. Meat-headed sportsman.’ 

‘Fuck off, ‘Kashi,’ Naruto splutters a tired laugh, head lolling back against the chair.

He dozes in and out of sleep, finally giving up after an hour. Stretching in the chair, he notices that he’s alone, the hallway light still on. 

‘Dad?’ He calls out, forcing his body upright, sluggishly making his way across the hall, seeking Iruka. He finds him in the kitchen, rinsing out the used mugs.

‘Hey, bud,’ Iruka greets his son, watching Naruto yawn wildly, hand reaching up to scratch at the back of his head. ‘Why don’t you go to bed? You’ve had a long day.’

Naruto hums an agreement. He’s already stepping towards the doorway when Iruka calls him back, Naruto peering at him curiously.

‘Be careful,’ Iruka’s voice is gentle, but Naruto hears the warning loud and clear. ‘I know you think you're doing right by Sasuke, but I don’t want you to get too attached.’ Iruka rinses off the last mug. ‘I don’t think Sasuke is that type of person, but I don’t want things to end how they did last time.’

Naruto is very much awake now.

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Iruka chides the scowl that has quickly replaced the exhaustion. ‘I’m just looking out for you. You’re my son. I don’t want you to-’

‘This is different,’ Naruto says, voice devoid of emotion. ‘Sasuke isn’t... he’s not...’

And then before he can stop it, the tears are already forming in his eyes and he’s choking them back down, flinching when Iruka reaches for him. 

‘It’s not the same,’ Naruto’s voice cracks. 

‘I’m sorry,’ Iruka whispers, his own eyes wet. He forces Naruto to accept his hug. A stifled sob is exhaled against his collarbone and Iruka tightens his arms around the blonde. Behind Naruto, Kakashi appears in the doorway, leaning against the frame, eyebrows pinched together with concern. He slowly reaches an arm forward, fingers burying in Naruto’s hair. The blonde’s body heaves against Iruka’s, a soft cry escaping him. ‘Naruto,’ Iruka murmurs his name. ‘I’m sorry.’

Naruto stiffens, shaking hands reaching to wipe at his face.

‘F-Fuck,’ he groans, his breath fluttering as he pulls back from Iruka’s embrace. Kakashi’s fingers leave his hair and Naruto sniffles. Reddened eyes avoid either man as he mutters an excuse about being tired, even though they all know he’ll struggle to sleep tonight.

‘Forget I said anything,’ Iruka begs before Naruto can leave the room. The blonde doesn’t meet his gaze, wiping at his eyes again. ‘Sasuke isn’t... he won’t... I know it,’ Iruka whispers.

Naruto’s jaw ticks.

‘’M goin’ bed.’

This time, Iruka lets him go, whispering a pained _I love you_, that Naruto can’t bring himself to return. Kakashi pats his head in passing, and Naruto understands his silent message. He drags his feet as he climbs the stairs. He barely remembers to kick his bedroom door shut before his body collapses onto his bed.

His head aches, his exhaustion heightened by his short burst of tears.

Pressing fingers to his throbbing temples, he exhales, swallowing down the thick lump that has formed at the back of his throat.

So much for a perfect day.

A buzzing in his back pocket signals the presence of an incoming text and Naruto almost ignores it. He quickly changes his mind, deciding that he’d much prefer a distraction, tilting his hips so that he can retrieve his phone from the back pocket of his jeans.

It takes him three attempts to type in the password, his eyes blurred with fatigue. When the screen brightens to life, he winces, eyes squinting. He runs his fingers through his hair, the digits absentmindedly tugging on a knot. 

He scans through the unanswered messages that have flooded the device during his visit at the Uchiha’s. One from Sakura, one from Neji, seven from Kiba - the last one threatening to have his balls if he didn’t answer any time soon. Naruto’s lips lazily tug upwards. There’s a few from his other friends, but Naruto’s eyes are trained in on the contact name at the top of the list.

Sasuke.

His thumb hovers over the name, hesitating. He hadn’t expected the Uchiha to contact him just hours after their dinner. A part of him is happy, but another part of him knows that Iruka’s warning was made in vain. 

He’s already attached.

If his instant attraction to Sasuke hadn’t made it clear enough, then the afternoon he spent with Sasuke’s family definitely had. He’d spent his entire bike ride home with a shit-eating grin plastered to his face. And as he clicks the message to read the very short message, said grin threatens to reappear.

_Thank you for today_.

Four words, short and blunt and very Sasuke-like. 

Naruto falls asleep, swollen-eyed, shit-eating grin ghosting over his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	6. [a decade’s worth of fudge cake]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- thank you to everyone who is reading; i really appreciate your support. i love reading your comments; they never fail to make me smile.  


Naruto doesn’t see nor hear from Sasuke for almost three weeks.

At first, he assumes the raven head is just busy with ‘art stuff or whatever’, as he’d told Neji.

However, his worries continue to increase when Sasuke doesn’t stop by the post-office in over a week.

By the time the second week comes and goes, Naruto is debating on whether he should stop by the Uchiha household. Only to change his mind when Iruka flashes him the pitiful smile that Naruto has grown to hate since early childhood.

‘He’s probably just busy,’ Neji had suggested. ‘Maybe he’s on holiday?’

‘Maybe he is visiting a girlfriend,’ Sai had added, unhelpfully.

‘Or boyfriend,’ Asuma had leaned back in his chair to look through the doorway, chiming in to tease the blonde.

That evening, Naruto had left work in a worse mood than he’d arrived in.

It isn’t until a few days later that Naruto finally sees him again.

He’d been dragged into town with Kakashi, the elder insisting that Naruto accompanied him to buy a gift for Iruka, much to Naruto’s boredom. Friday was supposed to be his day off, he’d reminded the silver haired man, only for his protests to be ignored.

‘You’d only spend it in bed anyway,’ Kakashi had deadpanned, shoving a hand against the small of Naruto’s back, pushing him out of the front door.

They’ve spent majority of the morning wandering the market, and when Kakashi _finally_ chooses a small collection of books written by Iruka’s favourite author, Naruto is all the more ready to return home. But then Kakashi insists that the two of them go for a snack at a nearby cafe, and Naruto quickly changes his mind, stomach grumbling.

They make their way towards the cafe, the name already lost to Naruto as he inspects the cover of one of the books.

‘Terry Pratchett?’ He questions, eyeing Kakashi dubiously. ‘Dad still reads this stuff?’

Kakashi glances at him, walking leisurely, ‘you know Terry Pratchett?’

Naruto drops the book back into the bag, shrugging, ‘Dad used to read them to me when I was a kid. I never really got what they were about, though. The films were better.’

Kakashi snorts.

‘How long’s it been anyway?’ Naruto asks as Kakashi is pushing open the cafe door, the little bell tinkling to announce their arrival.

‘Ten years,’ Kakashi replies, a gentle smile gracing his lips. They join the short queue of people that are waiting to be served.

‘Already? Holy shit,’ Naruto is grinning now. ‘I still ‘member when Dad first brought you home, ya know?’

_‘You gonna be my new dad or summin’? ‘Cause if you are, I’m not sharin’ the dango, get your own_,’ Kakashi mimics, laughing. ‘Iruka looked like he wanted to cry. You were a such a little shit at that age, good god, I do not miss those days.’

‘I wasn’t that bad,’ Naruto grumbles, bottom lip jutting outward.

‘You definitely were,’ Kakashi argues before turning away as the cashier gains his attention. He places their order as Naruto leaves his side to claim a table by the window. ‘Cream?’ Kakashi calls after him.

‘Obviously,’ Naruto sports a cheeky smile this time, to which Kakashi only rolls his eyes at. ‘Oh! Sprinkles too, please,’ he remembers to add. He leans back in his seat, eyes closing as he welcomes the sun that heats his face.

Moments later, Kakashi has joined him, placing a large tray onto the middle of the table-top. He passes a mug to Naruto, who greedily chugs down a mouthful of hot chocolate. Settling into his seat, Kakashi watches him lick the cream from his top lip, grimacing, ‘your sweet tooth is appalling.’

‘What d’ya mean?’ Naruto beams. ‘It tastes great.’ To prove his point, he swallows down another large mouthful, dramatically smacking his lips after. He looks at the older man, watching him gingerly take a sip of his coffee, before glancing down at the tray. Spotting the familiar cake, his grin widens momentarily, before it’s quickly replaced with a look of suspicion. ‘You got the fudge cake.’

Kakashi looks at him through heavily lidded eyes, ‘I did.’

‘You hate fudge cake,’ Naruto is scowling now. He places his mug onto the table, pointing an accusing finger at the older man, ‘’kay, ‘fess up.’ He indicates the tray, where he also notes a large bag of fizzy cola bottled sweets. ‘What you bribin’ me for?’

Kakashi slumps back in his chair, defeated. He almost looks guilty, averting his gaze as he looks out of the window as he mumbles, ‘I need you to go out tonight.’

Naruto’s brows pinch together, ‘for?’

Kakashi looks at him pointedly, and Naruto’s nose crinkles.

‘Gross.’

‘You have no right to call us gross when you thought the best way to come out to us was by letting the _entire_ street know what you were doing in that bedroom,’ Kakashi bites back, amusement tugging the corner of his lips upwards.

Naruto grimaces, ‘I was seventeen. ‘N’ I didn’t know you guys were comin’ back early.’

Kakashi hums, taking another sip of his coffee. He’s still grinning.

Naruto lounges in his chair, ‘guess I’ll ask Kiba to go out or summin’. When’s safe to come back?’

‘Probably best you stay out for the night.’

A loud groan escapes the blonde, his next sentence cut off by the sound of the bell announcing the arrival of another customer.

‘I’ve already told you, Mother. I _need_ those paints. I can’t finish this commission without them - I can’t believe you forgot them.’

Naruto looks up at the sound of the voice, eyes wide when he spots a very familiar raven haired male sauntering into the cafe. Mikoto is right behind him, along with Itachi, who closes the door shut behind them.

‘We’ll just go back for them, Sasuke,’ Mikoto promises, voice gentle as she hides a smile. Sasuke grunts a reply, already joining the queue, his mother following. It is Itachi who notices Naruto first.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ the eldest Uchiha sibling greets the blonde.

‘H-Hey,’ Naruto grins sheepishly. His eyes flicker to Sasuke, who is yet to notice him, before meeting Kakashi’s questioning gaze. Naruto clears his throat, waving a hand towards Itachi, ‘Itachi, this is my dad, Kakashi.’

Kakashi’s eyes snap to Naruto, widening a fraction. 

Unaware, Naruto tilts his head, ‘Kakashi, this is Itachi. He’s-’

‘I’m a friend of Naruto’s,’ Itachi’s smile seems genuine, but Naruto is unable to hide his surprise. ‘It’s nice to meet you,’ Itachi holds his hand out to Kakashi.

Kakashi tears his gaze from the side of Naruto’s face to look at Itachi. He shakes the Uchiha’s hand, offering a polite smile. ‘Nice to meet you too.’ He waggles an index finger between Naruto and Itachi, ‘how’d you guys know each other?’

‘Naruto attended the same school as my brother,’ Itachi grins.

Kakashi shoots Naruto a look, to which the blonde responds with a minuscule nod of his head, eyes darting to where Sasuke stands at the counter with his mother. Kakashi understands the silent message and busies himself with downing the rest of his drink.

‘Itachi,’ Mikoto calls over her shoulder. ‘Do you want your usual?’

Itachi eyes Naruto’s half finished hot chocolate and replies, ‘please.’

‘Who’s he even talking to?’ Sasuke cranes his neck to look behind his mother. He spots his brother first, who is smiling in a way that Sasuke knows that means nothing good. And then he sees Naruto and his stomach sinks. He’s already abandoning his mother at the counter before he realises that he’s moving. ‘Naruto,’ he greets the blonde with a tone of indifference.

‘Hi, Sasuke.’

Naruto doesn’t meet his gaze, and Sasuke doesn’t realise that he’s staring until Kakashi clears his throat.

‘Speak of the devil,’ Itachi’s smirk widens a fraction.

Sasuke ignores him, reaching to take Kakashi’s outstretched hand. ‘Sasuke,’ he offers his name, even though he’s sure the older man already knows who he is.

‘Kakashi,’ the silver haired man smiled politely as he withdraws his hand. He looks at Naruto, ‘I’m just going to use the bathroom, then we should head off, ‘kay?’

Naruto breathes out an agreement, watching Kakashi leave.

Itachi is quick to steal his seat, Sasuke sliding into a chair at the next table.

‘It’s been a while,’ Itachi regards Naruto.

Naruto hums, finishing his drink. He glances to the side, eyes meeting Sasuke’s. Palms sweaty with nerves, Naruto panics, looking away. He takes a slice of the fudge cake and proceeds to shove half of it into his mouth.

Lips parted, not even Itachi can stop himself from gawking, taken aback. Naruto winces, stomach protesting as he forces down the other half, almost gagging. He coughs, proud that he manages to avoid spraying Itachi with cake as he swallows the last mouthful. Noticing that both brothers are staring at him with mixed expressions of awe and disgust, Naruto’s cheeks enflame.

Luckily, Mikoto joins the group, breaking the awkward silence.

‘Oh, Naruto!’

She pushes the tray into Sasuke’s hands, ignoring the curse that slips past his lips, and bends to pull Naruto in for a hug. Reluctantly, Naruto reaches up to return her embrace, the hem of his shirt tugging upwards. Itachi’s dark eyes follow the movement, an eyebrow raised.

‘You have a tattoo?’

Naruto clears his throat as he breaks the hug, tugging down the fabric. He doesn’t notice Sasuke’s eyes following the action, but Itachi does, lips quirking.

‘Aha, y-yeah,’ Naruto squirms in his seat. ‘Was a dare.’

‘Oh that?’ Kakashi suddenly reappears, lips teasing into a smile, ‘we don’t talk about that dare.’

Naruto’s cheeks are flushed.

‘No?’ Itachi asks.

‘No,’ Kakashi replies. ‘He got into a _lot_ of trouble. He’s just lucky that it’s not ugly.’

‘You mean like yours,’ Naruto quips, looking much brighter as he looks pointedly at Kakashi’s left arm, the inking hidden behind the sleeve of Kakashi’s top.

‘Yes,’ Kakashi’s eyes narrow but he’s still smiling. ‘Like mine. I had hoped you’d be smart enough to learn from my mistakes. Clearly my hopes were too high.’

Sasuke breaks his silence with a soft snort.

‘I don’t believe we’ve met,’ Kakashi regards Mikoto with a friendly smile. Mikoto returns the smile, twisting in her seat to look at him properly. ‘I’m Kakashi, one half of Naruto’s parentage.’

The corners of Naruto’s eyes crinkle as he smiles.

‘Mikoto, mother to these two,’ Mikoto tilts her head towards her sons.

‘Two?’ Kakashi bends down to retrieve the bags by Naruto’s feet. ‘I don’t know how you cope. We struggled with just the one,’ he jokes.

Mikoto laughs and Itachi hides a grin behind his drink.

‘Fuck off,’ Naruto huffs as Kakashi ruffles his hair, slapping his hand away. ‘You’ve only been ‘round ten years.’

Kakashi feigns hurt, hand over his heart, ‘and they’ve _obviously_ been the best ten years of my life.’

Naruto knows that Kakashi is playing along, but his words are earnest. The silver haired man flashes him a toothy grin, which Naruto can’t help but return with one of his own.

‘Anyway,’ Kakashi breaks the peaceful silence that follows. ‘We should head off, before your dad kills us for being late for lunch.’ Naruto agrees, pushing his chair back as he stands. He takes one of the bags from Kakashi, following the elder to the door. He waves a hand to the others, which even Sasuke returns, eyeing Naruto carefully.

‘You should stop by for dinner again,’ Mikoto offers. ‘It was lovely having you over last time.’

Naruto’s eyes meet Sasuke’s.

There’s an unspoken agreement and Naruto turns to smile down at Mikoto. ‘Sure, maybe.’

‘Nice to meet you all,’ Kakashi spares a wave before he tugs Naruto out of the cafe.

The drive home is quiet and Naruto doesn’t notice the glances that Kakashi steals at him. 

His stomach feels sickly and Naruto is unsure if it’s his encounter with Sasuke, or the fudge cake, that’s causing his newfound nausea.

He definitely hadn’t expected to bump into Sasuke’s family today. And whilst he’d probably be content with seeing the youngest Uchiha - after wondering where the hell he’s been for the past three weeks - there’s something about the way that Sasuke had looked at him that doesn’t sit well with him.

The youngest Uchiha had mostly ignored him throughout the entire encounter. But right at the end, just before Naruto had left, Sasuke had looked at him with an unreadable expression that Naruto can’t decipher.

A part of him feels annoyed.

He’d agreed to be - _pretend_ to be, he corrects himself - Sasuke’s friend. And although they had agreed to only keep up pretence whenever Sasuke needed him, Naruto had dared to think that it could progress into something real. However, after the way Sasuke had treated him today, Naruto knows it was just wishful thinking. Sasuke is just pretending.

He’s not even sure who he’s more annoyed at. Sasuke or himself.

‘We’re home,’ Kakashi’s voice pulls him from his thoughts.

Naruto looks up.

‘I need you to hide these in your room until later,’ Kakashi pushes the bags onto Naruto. ‘Just until I get the chance to wrap them without your dad trying to look.’

‘Alright,’ Naruto says quietly.

Kakashi peers at him, ‘you okay?’

Naruto nods, forcing a smile. He’s out of the car and pushing open the front door before Kakashi can question him. Iruka greets him in the hallway, having seen them pull up into the driveway.

‘Gotta go,’ Naruto throws over his shoulder as he rushes up the stairs to hide the bags before Iruka can stop him.

Iruka greets his husband with a kiss on the cheek, ‘how’d it go?’

Kakashi slings an arm over Iruka’s shoulder. He presses his temple against the brown haired man’s, dark eyes staring up at the stairs, cheeks warm as he murmurs, ‘he called me ‘dad’.’

Iruka doesn’t attempt to hide his shock, craning his neck back to look at Kakashi, ‘he did?’

‘Yeah,’ Kakashi breathes. ‘We met that Sasuke he’s been banging on about - nice kid, by the way. Quiet, but nice - and he introduced me as his dad.’

Iruka’s smiling now. He wraps his arms around the taller man’s waist.

‘He loves you, you know?’

Kakashi’s eyes flicker downwards, arms tightening around Iruka’s shoulders.

‘He might not say it, but he does.’

Kakashi sniffs, biting back a smile. He presses his nose against Iruka’s neck, inhaling. The other man smells of shampoo and the body cream that Kakashi always insists on buying because he secretly likes it when Iruka smells of cocoa butter. There’s a faint smell of kitchen that clings to the collar of Iruka’s shirt and Kakashi hums his approval. His eyes close. Iruka smells like home and all the little things that Kakashi loves.

And with Iruka’s arms curled around his waist, Kakashi decides that the past ten years really have been the best of his life.

Upstairs, Naruto carefully pushes the gift bags under his bed, in a place that he knows Kakashi will easily find them.

Digging for his mobile, he quickly types out a text message, inviting Kiba out for drinks.

It takes all but two minutes for his friend to reply, reminding Naruto about the party he’s had planned for weeks, asking if he’s still attending. At least he’ll have a place to stay for the night, Naruto thinks as heresponds with a confirmation.

By the time the clock strikes five o’clock, Naruto gets tired of the knowing looks that Kakashi keeps sending his way, and he announces his departure.

‘Let me know when you’re there safely,’ Iruka insists, even when Naruto points out that it’s still light outside.

‘Use protection, kids,’ Naruto snickers, easily ducking out of the way as Kakashi aims a swipe at the back of his head. ‘Love ya.’

And then he’s off, missing the watery-eyed look that Iruka shares with Kakashi as the door swings shut behind him.

Pausing on the doorstep, Naruto zips his jacket up, stuffing his hands into the pockets. The corner of his mouth lazily pulls upwards.

Maybe - just _maybe_ \- the last ten years have been some of the best of his life too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	7. [the angel versus the devil]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- a little look into naruto’s friendships. more of sasuke and naruto in the next chapter.  
\- oh wow, thank you all so much for 1000 hits.  


‘You know what you gotta do?’

It’s almost five am and the party ended just over an hour ago. Naruto is drunk, so drunk that his head is spinning and his words are slurring. He’s spent the past hour sprawled across Kiba’s bed, blubbering about his deal with both Itachi and Sasuke, not even caring when Akamaru joins him on the bed, flank pressed against Naruto’s head. He was unsure if Kiba had even been listening, the other clicking away on his computer for the entirety of Naruto’s rant. 

Only now that Kiba is eyeing him with an expression that Naruto can only describe as boredom, does he realise that the brown haired man had actually been listening to him. 

‘Hm?’

Akamaru’s body is warm against his and he’s struggling to keep his eyes open.

Kiba lounges in the gaming chair by his desk and he grins lazily. He looks as tired as Naruto feels, but it doesn’t stop him from looking at Naruto knowingly.

‘No,’ Naruto says immediately. 

‘What?’ Kiba protests, throwing his hands up. ‘You don’t even know what I was gonna say.’

‘Yes I do,’ Naruto glares. ‘I’m _not_ fuckin’ him, Kiba.’ 

‘What? Why not?’

Naruto groans, pressing his head back against the pillows, ‘’cause I barely know him.’ He runs his fingers through his hair. ‘’Sides, I don’t even know if he’s gay. ‘N’ if he is, it doesn’t mean he wants to fuck me.’

Kiba barks out a laugh, ‘oh, he’s definitely gay.’

‘Who’s gay?’

Shikamaru is barging the door open, kicking it shut behind him. He’s nursing a glass of water, appearing as equally as exhausted as the other two. He sits on the bed, by Naruto’s feet.

Kiba swivels in his chair to face him, ‘Uchiha Sasuke.’ 

Shikamaru hums as he takes a large swing of water. ‘One hundred percent gay,’ he mumbles after he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Kiba looks at Naruto, grin widening.

‘See?’

‘So?’ Naruto says a little too loudly, earning a huff from Akamaru. ‘Doesn’t mean I’m gonna go fuck him.’

‘You’re into Sasuke?’ Shikamaru’s eyebrows rise slightly. 

‘No.’ 

‘Yeah, he is,’ Kiba laughs, narrowing dodging the pillow that Naruto furiously throws at his head. 

Shikamaru looks pensive.

‘Prick,’ Naruto hisses. 

‘How’d you even get talking to him?’ Shikamaru asks. ‘I’ve not seen him since we left uni.’

‘Uni?’ Naruto repeats. ‘He went to the same uni as us?’

Shikamaru’s eyebrows rise higher, ‘he was in the same department building as me and Neji, remember?’ 

Both Neji and Shikamaru had chosen to specialise in Graphic Design when they’d been accepted into the Academy of Konoha, Naruto remembers that much.

But once again, he doesn’t recall seeing Sasuke.

‘Oh c’mon, ‘Ruto!’ Kiba yells, voice muffled by a handful of crisps that Naruto doesn’t remember him having just moments before. ‘The Dean did one of those big fancy fuck-off assembly’s ‘cause Sasuke painted that memorial or somethin’.’

‘He won an award for it,’ Shikamaru adds, taking another sip of his drink.

Naruto’s eyes widen with recognition, ‘that was _him_?!’

‘There was those big balloons they popped, you know, the ones with the glitter in ‘em? Took me a fuckin’ week to get that shit out my hair,’ Kiba grumbles, shovelling another handful of crisps into his mouth, crunching loudly.

Naruto remembers now.

‘_We only left school last year_,’ Sasuke had said to him when Naruto had delivered that first package to his house.

Naruto laughs loudly, only to regret it, temple throbbing just seconds later.   


His guilt is only increased as now it’s obvious that whilst Naruto had no idea he’d attended the same university with Sasuke for just under three years, the Uchiha had clearly remembered him. Naruto feels like shit.

‘Pretty sure that kid Neji’s dating was in his class too,’ Shikamaru presses a finger to the crease forming between his eyebrows. 

‘Sai?’ 

‘Yeah, him.’

Naruto hums, lifting his arms as Akamaru rolls onto his side, dozing off. The large dog shifts, head resting on Shikamaru’s lap. The brunette doesn’t look particularly happy with the position, but also makes no move to push the dog away.

‘You didn’t answer my question,’ Shikamaru knocks his glass against Naruto’s calf as the blonde moves to stretch out on the bed, legs flopping over Shikamaru’s. ‘How’d you get talking to him?’

Naruto heavily exhales through his nostrils. 

And then he proceeds to recount the entire story again.

Unlike Kiba, Shikamaru actually looks as if he’s paying attention. Or at least, he’s better at pretending than Kiba is. There’s a few moments when Naruto catches his eyes glazing over, but then the brunette rapidly blinks and is listening once more.

By the end of his storytelling, Shikamaru’s expression is one of pity.

‘’M going to say this once, and once only, because I don’t want you to break my legs,’ he starts, pausing as he hesitates. He clears his throat, straightening up as he looks at Naruto, almost scaring the blonde with his serious expression. Even Kiba’s teasing smile has disappeared. ‘Be careful, Naruto.’

Naruto swallows.

He looks away, deciding that whilst he’s so drunk that it’s making his head hurt, he’s definitely not drunk enough for this conversation.

‘I know this thing with Sasuke is different.. but with what happened with G-’

‘Please,’ Naruto interrupts, throwing an arm over his face, shielding his eyes. ‘Don’t.’ He sniffles, but he’s managing to stop himself from shedding any tears. Somehow.

He feels Shikamaru shifting on the bed, Kiba tapping away at his computer again. 

‘We don’t want to see you in that place again,’ Shikamaru’s tone is solemn. Kiba makes a quiet noise of agreement. 

Several minutes of silence pass. 

Naruto finally moves his arm from his face. He shifts so that he’s sat upright, ignoring the throbbing in his head as he leans back against the pillows. Eyes downcast, he picks at a hole in his jeans.

‘He tried to message me, ya know?’

It’s Kiba who reacts first.

‘He fuckin’ what?’

Naruto winces, forcing out a short laugh. ‘Right? After everythin’ that he...’ He swallows. ‘I don’t even know how he got my number, ‘cause I changed it, ‘member?’ He exhales, looking up. ‘But he messaged. Didn’t even read it, I just blocked him.’

‘When?’ Shikamaru asks, eyebrows furrowed. Out of anger or concern, Naruto isn’t sure. 

Kiba, on the other hand, looks livid.

‘Fuck _when_,’ he spits out, suddenly appearing a lot more sober than he has all night. ‘I wanna fuckin’ know _why_.’

Naruto doesn’t have an answer.

‘That... that... urgh! I can’t fuckin’ stand him!’ Kiba seethes, his shout jolting Akamaru from his sleep. ‘How fuckin’ _dare_ he?! After what he put you through? And then left us to pick up the-’ He stops himself, angry words dying on the tip of his tongue at the sight of the crestfallen expression on Naruto’s face. ‘Sorry... I’m just... I’m pissed.’

Naruto doesn’t blame him.

‘’Bout a month ago,’ he answers Shikamaru’s question. ‘I haven’t told my dad... either of ‘em.’

Shikamaru almost looks sad now.

Kiba exhales loudly, hands gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that his knuckles whiten. As if sensing his owner’s distress, Akamaru lets out a low whine, moving from the bed to stretch his body before settling at Kiba’s feet. 

‘Fuckin’ piece of-’ 

‘Kiba,’ Shikamaru interrupts him, tone warning. 

‘Sorry.’

Naruto runs his fingers through his hair again.

‘Am I bein’ dumb?’ He asks no one in particular.

‘Kind,’ Shikamaru answers, correcting him. ‘Stupidly too kind for your own good.’ He offers the blonde a small smile. 

‘Still a dumbass,’ Kiba chips in. He’s visibly calmer now but his body remains tense, slouched over in his chair. Shikamaru’s smile widens, mimicked by Naruto.

Naruto blinks slowly, yawning. 

‘With your Sasuke problem,’ Shikamaru changes the subject, placing his empty glass on the floor. ‘Just take it slow. You guys might actually become friends, who knows?’ He shrugs lazily. ‘But Sasuke seems like the type of dude that does what he wants, how he wants. If he decides that he actually wants to be your friend - and if you’ll even still want to be - in god knows how far into the future,’ he pauses, throwing a pointed look at the back of Kiba’s head. ‘I don’t think seducing him will help either of you come to that decision.’

Kiba swivels in his chair again, startling Akamaru.

‘It _will_,’ he insists. ‘All ‘Ruto’s gotta do is fuck him, and depending on whether Sasuke decides he’s a good enough fuck-’

‘Thanks,’ Naruto interjects flatly. 

‘-Then they can fall in love or whatever you guys wanna do,’ Kiba shrugs.

Shikamaru is glaring now. He turns to Naruto, ‘if you have a shred of dignity or self respect, do _not_ listen to him, Naruto.’

‘Definitely listen to me,’ Kiba argues, exasperated. ‘What’s wrong with my plan? If it goes well, Naruto gets a new boyfriend.’

‘And if it doesn’t?’ Shikamaru’s eyebrows are rising again, arms crossed over his chest.

Kiba leans back in his chair, ‘then Naruto still gets to bust a load in Sasuke’s tight little-’ 

This time, the pillow hits its target and Kiba splutters, huffing air from between his lips as he throws it back at Naruto. Kiba’s grin is sinful and it makes both Naruto and Shikamaru cringe. 

‘It’s a win-win.’ 

‘I’m honestly disgusted with myself for ever calling you my friend.’

Naruto begins to zone out their bickering, eyes drooping as he smiles lazily.

However, even long after the three of them have cramped their bodies onto Kiba’s bed, Naruto still can’t sleep. Stuck in the middle, he has Shikamaru’s back facing him, Kiba snoring in his ear from behind. The bed is hot and there’s a faint smell of dog that makes Naruto’s stomach churn. His head is still aching and every time he blinks, it seems to throb across his forehead.

He glances at the digital clock on Kiba’s desk. Almost seven am. Naruto’s thoughts drift to Sasuke.

It doesn’t take long for him to decide that Shikamaru was right. Sasuke seems like the type of person to either have things his way or no way. He definitely doesn’t seem like the person who would be easily seduced. Not that Naruto wants to seduce him. At all.

No. If Naruto is going to uphold his promise to Itachi - if he has even a shred of a chance at actually befriending Sasuke - then taking it slow is his best option.

His _only_ option.

Besides, there’s still a chance that Sasuke will change his mind.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	8. [sasuke draws]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- from here, onwards, there’ll be a lot more interactions between naruto and sasuke. enjoy :)  


Sasuke’s phone-call wakes Naruto from his slumber.

It takes several seconds for his brain to process the shrill ringing that makes his eyes squint, Shikamaru shifting in front of him.

‘Naruto,’ he huffs into the mattress, voice groggy and muffled. ‘If you don’t shut that thing up, I’m going to break it.’

Kiba doesn’t even stir in his sleep as Naruto forces his body upright, leaning over Shikamaru’s body to retrieve his jeans from the floor. He digs into the pockets until his fingers curl around the vibrating device, not even looking at the caller i.d as he answers the call.

‘Hello?’

Shikamaru’s fingers dig into his ribs in warning and Naruto groans, slapping them away. He gets the message, though, dragging his body from the bed. He almost trips over Akamaru’s sleeping form at the bottom of the bed, barely regaining his footing as he catches his balance by gripping tightly onto the doorframe.

‘Shit,’ he curses under his breath.

‘Naruto?’

By the door, Naruto freezes. ‘Sasuke?’

On the bed, Shikamaru peels an eye open to look at him. Naruto waves a hand, already ducking out of the room, quietly clicking the door shut behind him. Dressed in just a t-shirt and his boxers, he makes his way down the stairs.

‘Where the hell are you?’

Standing in the doorway of the kitchen, Naruto halts at the sound of the raven head’s angry tone.

‘Huh?’

‘My package is three hours late,’ Sasuke hisses down the phone. ‘It was supposed to be here at twelve. I have to go out soon, where the hell are you?’

Naruto’s eyes close, pressing an index finger to his throbbing temple. ‘’M not at work today,’ he croaks, throat dry.

‘What?’

Using his shoulder to trap the phone to his ear, Naruto searches for a clean glass. Majority are used, cluttering the sink. The rest of the room looks surprisingly clean, and Naruto guesses Shikamaru must’ve tidied up before joining him and Kiba last night.

‘Yeah,’ he says quietly, attention focused on the one clean mug that he manages to find at the back of the cupboard above the sink. ‘Booked today off ‘cause I was out last night.’

He vaguely remembers drunkenly calling Asuma to inform him that he wouldn’t be in today, ignoring the older man’s joke about firing him.

‘You aren’t working today,’ Sasuke repeats. He still sounds annoyed. ‘You could have told me. I’ve been waiting for you all afternoon.’

Naruto winces.

‘Sorry.’

He hears Sasuke make a noise that sounds like a cross between a scoff and a grunt.

‘I-If you want, I can ask Sai to-’

‘No,’ Sasuke huffs down the phone.

‘No?’ Naruto is confused now. His headache is worsening and he’s still not filled his glass with water.

And then there’s another voice on the other end of the line, calm and low in pitch and very Itachi-like.

‘Who are you talking to?’ He hears him ask Sasuke.

Sasuke scoffs down the phone, ‘who says I’m talking to anyone?’

Itachi’s voice sounds amused now, ‘you’re holding your phone to your ear and talking into it, Sasuke.’

There’s a shuffle and it sounds like Sasuke has thrown something, followed by Itachi’s low chuckle. Naruto is silent as he listens, filling his glass with water and gulping down as much as his stomach can stand. ‘Go away,’ Sasuke growls after a pause, sounding out of breath. ‘I’m busy.’

‘I’m sure you are,’ Itachi comments and Naruto can almost picture him smiling. ‘Mother and I are leaving now. Father will be back before us. Say hi to Naruto for me.’

And then he’s gone and the only thing Naruto can hear is his blood pounding in his ears.

It takes several seconds for Sasuke to speak again.

‘What are you doing later?’

‘Huh?’

Sasuke sighs, ‘are you busy later?’

Naruto’s smile is lopsided, not that the Uchiha can see, ‘does nursin’ a hangover count as bein’ busy?’ Sasuke doesn’t reply and Naruto clears his throat, feeling both awkward and embarrassed at the same time. ‘I mean, no, I’m not. D’ya need me to-?’

‘I won’t be home until five o’clock,’ Sasuke interrupts him. ‘Bring my package with you.’

And with a click, the call has ended.

Naruto pulls the phone back from his face, staring down at the device in his hand with a look of bewilderment. He doesn’t realise that he’s zoned out until Kiba comes blundering down the stairs with more energy than Naruto can deal with.

‘Morning,’ the brunette greets him cheerfully, seeming a lot more awake than Shikamaru, who enters the kitchen with a careful quietness.

‘It’s afternoon,’ he corrects Kiba, who isn’t listening, stealing the glass from Naruto’s hand and downing the rest of its contents. The blonde doesn’t protest, joining Shikamaru at the table. ‘My head is killing me,’ Shikamaru groans, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his hands.

Naruto grunts an agreement.

Kiba stretches, grinning when Akamaru joins the group. ‘Hey boy,’ he scratches the top of Akamaru’s head with the tips of his fingers. Akamaru’s tongue is lolling out of his mouth and he presses his body against Kiba’s leg, relaxed.

‘Coffee?’ Kiba offers, although his eyes slide over to Shikamaru, who looks less than impressed.

‘You can’t offer us a drink and then have us make it for you.’

‘I mean,’ Kiba laughs, ‘you already cleaned my house. Might as well as do this too.’

Naruto yawns, fingers scratching at his stomach, ‘I thought I was lazy.’

Shikamaru stands, ‘you _are_ lazy. He’s just worse.’

Kiba grins, taking a seat beside Naruto. ‘Who were you on the phone to?’

Naruto’s lips part but it is Shikamaru who answers, flicking the kettle on as he does, ‘Sasuke.’

Kiba’s eyebrows quirk, ‘oh?’

Naruto hums. ‘Talking of,’ he stands, phone clasped tightly in one hand. ‘I have to go get ready.’

‘You’re going to see him today?’ Shikamaru asks.

‘Yeah...’ Naruto trails off. Both Kiba and Shikamaru are looking at him now. ‘Don’t look at me like that... we’re just friends.’

Kiba smirks, ‘for now.’

Shikamaru scolds, ‘don’t start that again.’ Looking at Naruto, he tries his best to smile, but it looks more like a grimace, ‘so long as you’re careful... have fun.’

Naruto hesitates in the doorway, before he forces a grin, ‘you don’t need to worry ‘bout me, ya know? I’ve got two dads at home for that, I don’t need another one.’

Shikamaru snorts and even Kiba chuckles under his breath.

‘Anyway, Imma go get my stuff ‘n’ head off. I stink ‘n’ I need to shower before I go see him.’

Kiba’s already waving him off, but Shikamaru looks hesitant, ignoring the kettle as it finishes its cycle, steam billowing out of the top. ‘Be careful,’ he repeats, expression serious.

Naruto laughs lightly, waving a hand over his shoulder as he turns to race up the stairs. Halfway up, he trips, a shocked laugh escaping him as he pulls himself upright.

‘Still a dumbass,’ Kiba scoffs.

๑

Naruto presses the button on the intercom at exactly half five. It’s cold outside and he secretly hopes that someone will let him in soon. It doesn’t take long for the speaker to sizzle to life, much to Naruto’s relief.

‘Who are you?’

Naruto doesn’t recognise the voice behind the speaker and he struggles to get his tongue to form words.

‘Are you trying to rob us?’ The voice bites through the speaker.

Naruto’s eyes widen before his eyebrows pull into a frown, slightly hurt by the accusation, ‘if I was tryna rob you, why would I ring the bell?’

A loud bark of laughter suddenly bursts through the speaker, startling the blonde. ‘I’m just kidding. Gate’s open.’

Naruto’s fingers tighten around Sasuke’s package. He slips through the gate once it opens wide enough, shivering. He slowly makes his way up the drive. It’s still light outside, but the lights are already on, and as Naruto stares up at the large house, he wonders which room belongs to Sasuke.

His thoughts are pushed to the back of his mind as he finally reaches the porch, climbing the small steps. His hand reaches out to press the doorbell, just in case the voice behind the speaker has left him there. However, before he can even touch the button, the door is ripped wide open, revealing a man that he doesn’t recognise.

He’s an Uchiha, Naruto can tell that much from the curling jet black hair and the dark eyes that are staring at him, unblinking.

‘Uh-’ Naruto starts, only to be cut off when the man takes one slow step towards him. Wide eyed, Naruto takes one back. ‘S-Sorry,’ he stutters, unsure of why he’s even apologising. He shoves the package under the strange man’s nose, ‘I’m just here to give this to Sasuke.’

The man takes it from him. He’s still yet to blink and a tiny part of Naruto is in awe of how much time has passed. Then the eyes narrow, dark and calculating as they look up and down Naruto’s body before flickering back up to meet Naruto’s.

‘You sure you’re not here to rob us?’

Naruto’s fists clench without him even meaning to.

‘Shisui,’ a voice calls from down the hall. The voice’s owner appears beside the man that Naruto now knows as Shisui, and then Naruto is looking into Sasuke’s eyes. ‘Go and annoy Itachi instead.’

Shisui laughs again, loud and bold, the exact opposite of Sasuke. Naruto struggles to believe that they’re actually related. He watches Shisui chuck the package at Sasuke, who catches it with ease.

‘Nice to meet you, _Naruto_,’ he winks before promptly disappearing down the hall.

Naruto stares after him, before dragging his eyes away to look at Sasuke instead.

‘Who-?’

‘My cousin,’ Sasuke answers before Naruto even manages to finish his question.

‘Ah,’ Naruto nods, stuffing his hands into the large front pocket of his hoodie. So he’d been correct about the family resemblance. There’s a short, awkward pause and Naruto does his best to not allow his gaze to settle on Sasuke’s face for too long.

The Uchiha, however, has no problem with staring right at Naruto.

Feeling his cheeks tinge, Naruto clears his throat, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. ‘Well, I should-’

‘Mother is making pasta bake tonight.’

Naruto looks at him properly then.

Sasuke peers right back at him, expression unreadable.

Naruto understands that this is Sasuke’s stubborn way of asking him to join them for dinner. And whilst a part of him hopes that this is a genuine request, and not just so Sasuke can keep up pretences, a much larger part of him knows that this isn’t the case.

He almost declines. Questions whether this was all a mistake. Questions why he even agreed to do this is in the first place. Questions why he even feels disappointed.

But then he sees the dark eyes flicker, bracing Sasuke for the rejection that he’s clearly expecting. And Naruto immediately gives in.

‘With cheese?’

A dark eyebrow raises, ‘how else do you suppose pasta bake is made?’

And then Naruto sees the minuscule smile just before Sasuke hides it as he turns away, pushing the door open wider. Naruto welcomes the warmth as he steps inside, grinning as he slips his shoes from his feet. Sasuke closes the door behind him, package clutched in his hand.

Naruto scratches the back of his head, ‘Sai says sorry ‘bout that, by the way. He didn’t know I wasn’t gonna be in today.’

A half-lie.

Sai had been running behind on deliveries earlier, but he had been less than thrilled when Naruto had blundered into the shop, almost sending a customer flying as he ran straight into her. He’d also been less than thrilled when Naruto had spent the best part of an hour, begging him to allow him to deliver Sasuke’s delivery.

‘You are not even working today,’ Sai had pointed out, arms crossed over his chest. Behind him, Neji had stifled a laugh behind his hand. ‘It is inappropriate to visit customers out of work hours.’

‘We’re friends now!’ Naruto had all but yelled.

Eventually, Neji had taken pity and with one whisper in his ear, had convinced Sai to give in.

Sasuke turns the package over in his hands, brows furrowing when he reads the scribble on the back.

‘This number belongs to the loser who delivers this-’

Naruto lunges at him, snatching the package from his hands. Embarrassment churns in the pit of his stomach and he rips the packaging off. He shoves it into the front pocket of his hoodie, handing Sasuke his delivery.

‘Haha, sorry... he likes... uh, he likes to piss me off,’ Naruto blurts out the first excuse that comes to mind.

Expressionless, Sasuke looks at him just once before he starts to walk towards the stairs. When he notices that Naruto isn’t following him, he glances over his shoulder, ‘my parents won’t be back home for another hour yet.’

Naruto nods, swallowing.

He reluctantly follows Sasuke up the stairs and down the hall, into his bedroom.

Sasuke’s bedroom is just as he expects it to be. It’s spacious - easily larger than his own - and it’s neat and tidy. The large bed has been made and each book in the bookcase has been stacked by name and when Naruto glances at the floor, there’s not one item of clothing in sight. Naruto spots the award that he’d spoken about with his friends, the frame hanging above Sasuke’s bed. There’s a couple of black beanbags on one side of the room, that look scarcely used, a laptop placed on one of them. There’s one corner of the room, however, that is not as well kept as the rest.

There’s several sketchbooks piled on top of the wide desk, the woodwork discoloured with years worth of stains. A large metal box is pushed underneath and Naruto suspects that it’s where Sasuke keeps his supplies. There’s a stack of loose pages that have spilled over one side of the desk, some filled with water colour paintings, others created with a simple stroke of a pencil.

Naruto smiles.

So this is where Sasuke creates his art. 

‘You can sit wherever,’ Sasuke mumbles. He brushes past Naruto, crossing the room to pull the chair out from under his desk. He sits, and Naruto watches him reach under the desk to lift the lid of the supply box. Inside, he places the notebooks that Naruto had brought over on top of a pile of smaller boxes.

Naruto chooses to sit at the end of Sasuke’s bed.

‘You look better than I was expecting.’

The comment makes Naruto’s eyes snap upwards. Sasuke isn’t even looking at him, busying himself with unwrapping a new packet of pencils.

‘Your hangover,’ the Uchiha elaborates when Naruto doesn’t answer.

‘Oh, yeah,’ Naruto chuckles sheepishly. ‘’S my friend’s fault. Can’t ever say no to him when alcohol’s involved.’

Sasuke straightens up in his seat, flicking through one of his newer sketchbooks, making sure that it’s clean. And then he turns his head, looking the blonde square in his eyes. Naruto squirms under his stare, pretends as if it doesn’t make his cheeks warm, clears his throat and ducks his gaze away from Sasuke’s.

Sasuke’s lip tease upwards.

‘Can I draw you?’

Naruto is taken aback.

‘Y-You want to-?’

‘Draw you, yes.’

The Uchiha’s have a habit of interrupting people, Naruto thinks. But he doesn’t seem to mind as much as he would if it were someone else. He lets Sasuke’s question sink in. He’s never had someone draw him. Well, unless he counted the time that Kiba had drawn a sickly looking stick-man that looked nothing like Naruto, but had insisted that it was him. 

And after going through the raven head’s instagram page that one time, Naruto’s very aware of Sasuke’s talent. 

He’s curious about how Sasuke views him.

‘Okay,’ he says, eyes finally meeting Sasuke’s.

‘Okay?’ The Uchiha repeats.

Naruto nods once.

Sasuke is careful positioning the blonde exactly how he wants him. He tells Naruto to remove his hoodie, leaving him feeling very exposed in his t-shirt. Sasuke’s fingers are hot against his skin as he moves Naruto until he’s leaning against the many pillows piled on the bed. His legs are sprawled out, one more bent in than the other, arms draped lazily by his sides.

Sasuke’s fingers gently brush against his abdomen and Naruto fights with everything within him to suppress the shiver that dances across his skin. Sasuke tugs the hem of Naruto’s shirt upwards, revealing just a slither of the black inking.

The Uchiha tries not to stare, quickly clearing his throat as he shifts down to pull Naruto’s socks off, rolling up the hem of his jeans.

‘Are you comfortable?’ He asks, standing back.

Naruto feels warm under the Uchiha’s heavy gaze.

He prays that neither Itachi or Shisui decide to walk in any time soon, forcing himself to exhale in a pathetic attempt to dissipate the butterflies in his stomach. It doesn’t work.

‘Yeah,’ he finally croaks, voice quiet.

And then Sasuke is sat back at his desk, the chair pulled until it faces the bed, sketchbook propped against his crossed legs.

‘I’ve not drawn anyone in a while,’ he mutters, more to himself than to the blonde, laying out his supplies on the desk.

Naruto swallows down the thick lump at the back of his throat. This feels way more... intimate than he had expected. But to his surprise, it doesn’t take long for him to decide that he doesn’t actually mind.

The two fall into an easy silence and soon, the only sound in the room is Sasuke’s pencil dragging across the paper. 

Naruto isn’t sure where he should look. He tries to distract himself with looking around Sasuke’s room, but he soon runs out of things to look at. When he thinks Sasuke isn’t paying too much attention to him, Naruto steals glances at him. Sasuke’s eyebrows are furrowed in concentration, dark eyes constantly darting around the page, long fingers curled around the rapidly moving pencil.

At one point, just as he looks up, his gaze meets Naruto’s.

The two look at each other and Naruto swears that he sees Sasuke’s ears tinging with red. Sasuke clears his throat, looking away first.

Another time, Naruto catches Sasuke stealing a peek at the bottom of his tattoo, eyes narrowed, curious. His pencil has halted and Naruto bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. 

‘D’ya wanna see it?’

Sasuke’s eyes snap to his.

It appears to take several seconds for him to process Naruto’s question. His eyes glare down at his sketchbook, fingers tightening around his pencil until the tips are white due to the pressure.

‘No.’

Naruto’s smile is lopsided, lazy but comforting. 

And Sasuke continues to draw, pretending that it doesn’t make his stomach squirm with nerves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	9. [nine - monopoly]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- i'm terribly sorry for the late update :( i hope that you enjoy!  
\- thank you so much for 100 kudos!  


Sasuke stares.

His fingertips have numbed from gripping his pencil too tightly, hair mussed from running his fingers through the strands one too many times. His stomach aches with hunger and his eyes are beginning to droop from exhaustion. But he rapidly blinking them open, eyes trained in on Naruto.

The blonde had fallen asleep some time ago.

He’s splayed out across Sasuke’s bed, lips parted as he exhales heavily. His shirt has ridden up to reveal more of his tattoo and Sasuke knows that he shouldn’t be staring, but he just can’t help himself. He can’t make out the design of the inking, but that doesn’t stop him from straining his eyes to do so. Leaning back in his chair, he watches the gentle rise and fall of Naruto’s chest, fingers tugging on the ends of his fringe.

He blinks the tiredness from his eyes, and he glances down at his sketchbook.

His drawing is almost finished, he realises, and he stares at it for a few moments before he flicks the pages shut. He’s too tired to continue drawing and Naruto has already shifted from his original position. Placing the book on his desk, he rubs his eyes.

Naruto shifts in his sleep and Sasuke holds his breath.

Naruto rolls onto his side, knees curling up to his chest. He’s facing Sasuke now, who watches as he settles again, cheek pressed into his pillow. Sasuke blinks.

His bedroom door opens and his eyes snap to meet Itachi’s.

The eldest brother halts, hand clasped around the door. His gaze shifts from Sasuke, to Naruto, and back again, eyebrows tilting upwards.

‘Mother and Father are home,’ he eventually murmurs. Sasuke doesn’t reply, eyes fixated on Naruto once more. ‘Mother wanted to know if Naruto was staying for dinner.’

Sasuke hums.

He sees Naruto’s lips part, an incoherent mumbling past his lips. Neither brother understand the words, watching Naruto exhale and inhale. There’s a tense moment of silence and then Sasuke asks, ‘should I wake him?’

‘No,’ Itachi replies, voice quiet. ‘He looked like-’

‘Oi, ‘Tachi!’ Shisui suddenly appears in the doorway, carrying a bag of crisps. He stuffs a few of them in his mouth, words muffled, ‘what the fuck are you-!?’

Itachi slaps a hand over his cousin’s mouth, hastily shushing him, but it’s too late.

Naruto’s eyes instantly open and he jumps upright so quickly that he almost loses his balance. A hand shoots out to prevent him from toppling over the side of the bed, and he stares, wide-eyed. It takes several seconds for him to remember whose room he is in and his eyes shift to Sasuke before squeezing shut. He groans loudly, clutching at his temples.

‘’S the time?’

Sasuke is unable to answer, swallowing down the thick lump that’s formed at the back of his throat. His cheeks are now enflamed at the sight of a freshly-woken Naruto, and he purposely avoids the blonde’s eyes.

‘Almost seven o’clock,’ Itachi answers for him.

‘Man,’ Shisui mumbles over another mouthful of food. ‘You look like shit.’

Naruto groans, but his lips tilt up into a lazy grin. The sight makes Sasuke’s stomach squirm again. ‘Yeah,’ he runs a hand through his messy hair, ‘hangovers kinda do that to ya.’

‘I can get you water,’ Itachi offers, his smile kind. Naruto looks up at him, momentarily surprised by the offer. He almost declines, but his throat is dry and his tongue feels heavy in his mouth.

‘That’d be great, thanks.’

Itachi shares one last look with his brother, who is doing a poor job of not trying to stare at the blonde. Itachi bites back a smile, nodding to Naruto before turning to shove Shisui back out of the room.

‘Hey-!’

Whatever his cousin was about to say is cut off by the door closing shut behind them, and Sasuke is glad.

There’s a tense moment of silence.

Naruto feels awkward and it shows. He shifts on the bed, now sat upright, and he picks at the hem of his shirt. He scratches the back of his neck, forcing a smile as he looks at Sasuke.

‘’M sorry…for falling asleep.’ He clears his throat. ‘This hangover is killin’ me and your bed is fuckin’ comfy and-’

‘It’s fine,’ Sasuke cuts him off, voice sharp. The tips of his ears are red and he makes a show of avoiding Naruto’s gaze as he busies himself with tiding his desk.

Naruto misinterprets this as the young Uchiha being angry with him and he falls quiet. He’s unsure of what to do, eyeing the floor as if it’d give him an answer. He sees that his jacket is hanging on the handle of Sasuke’s wardrobe and for a reason unknown to himself, that makes him feel worse. He doesn’t dare to break the silence again, watching Sasuke as he cleans his desk.

The bedroom door opens again to reveal Itachi, sans Shisui this time, a glass of water in his hand.

Naruto politely accepts it, not daring to look up as he downs half of its contents in one mouthful.

Itachi looks at him, and Naruto swallows, eyebrows furrowed. Itachi glances at Sasuke, watching the way he moves robotically, shoulders rigid as he packs his things away.

‘Sasuke-’

Sasuke suddenly straightens up, and moves to barge past his brother.

Itachi glares after him, ‘where are you going?’

‘For a piss,’ Sasuke snaps, slamming the door shut behind him.

He marches down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom. Making sure to lock the door behind him, he exhales loudly, eyes closing. He feels his pulse throbbing against his neck uncomfortably, and he slaps a hand over it, cursing under his breath.

He can’t believe that he’s so worked up.

But something about how Naruto had looked when he woke up, how his eyes had focused solely on Sasuke as he blinked them open…

_Fuck._

His stomach churns and he rubs at his eyes. He doesn’t understand why he’s so nervous. Maybe it’s just because Naruto is the first person to sleep in his bed. That’s definitely the most logical reason Sasuke can think of.

He rubs at his eyes again, swallowing.

He decides that he’s hidden in the bathroom for too long and he knows that Itachi will come looking for him if he doesn’t go back. And so after running his fingers through his hair and inhaling deeply, he straightens up and unlocks the door. Slowly, he makes his way back down the hall, pausing by his bedroom door. However, as he pushes it open, he’s stunned to see that it’s now empty. His eyes snap to Naruto’s hoodie that’s hanging on his wardrobe and for a reason that he doesn’t dare to acknowledge, Sasuke is relieved.

Turning on his heel, he makes his way down the stairs, peering into the living room to find that it’s also empty. He frowns, sauntering down the hallway and stepping into the kitchen. Mikoto is by the oven, offering him a small smile, his brother and cousin sat with Fugaku at the dining table. Naruto is nowhere in sight.

‘Where’s-?’

Itachi is frowning at him, looking annoyed and disappointed all at once. Fugaku is busy showing Shisui something on his tablet, the younger man chatting animatedly, hands waving so wildly that he almost hits his uncle in the face.

‘He left,’ Itachi says calmly.

Sasuke’s lips part, repeating the word, ‘left…?’

‘I insisted that he stayed,’ Itachi replies, frown deepening. ‘But he was adamant.’

At this, Shisui suddenly barks out a loud laugh, joining the conversation, ‘I dunno what you did to him, lil bro, but he looked pretty upset.’

‘Upset?’

Sasuke’s eyes are wide now and he feels sick.

‘W-Where…’ he trails off. ‘How long-?’

‘He couldn’t have gone far,’ Itachi tells him. ‘He-’

Sasuke is moving towards the door before Itachi can finish his sentence. He doesn’t even stop to put his shoes on as he sprints down the driveway, ignoring the bite of pain that he feels as the gravel digs into the soles of his feet. Yanking the gate open, he looks both left and right before he sees Naruto’s figure retreating.

‘Naruto!’

He shouts before he can stop himself, taking off after the blonde. He feels a stitch forming in his ribs and he winces, forcing himself to continue running. He yells out Naruto’s name again, and this time, the blonde hears him, coming to a halt. He looks over his shoulder just in time to see Sasuke running after him, forehead exposed as the wind pushes his hair back from his face.

Sasuke almost falls into him, feet smacking against the ground as he stops, hunches over to wheeze.

‘Sasuke?’

The young Uchiha flinches at the sound of his name, forcing himself to stand upright as he pants. His pale skin is now glistening with sweat, his cheeks prettily blossomed with a blush that makes Naruto’s pulse race.

‘Sasuke-?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Sasuke blurts.

Naruto blinks back at him, dumbfounded.

‘Itachi said you’d left…’ Sasuke breathes, finally calming his breathing. ‘You didn’t even have any dinner.’

Naruto frowns. ‘I thought you were pissed at me.’

‘Pissed…?’ Sasuke repeats, brows furrowing. ‘Why the hell would I be pissed?’

Naruto shrugs, avoiding his gaze. Sasuke hates it. ‘’Cause I fell asleep in your bed.’

‘So?’

Naruto looks at him, his expression a mixture of confusion and annoyance. ‘What do you mean ‘so’? I woke up and you were pissy with me… I wasn’t gonna stay for dinner when you obviously don’t want me there.’

Sasuke looks as if he’s going to vomit. Or cry.

‘I-I…’ He pauses, grimacing. ‘I do want you there.’ He looks away and the blush on his cheeks darkens. ‘I wouldn’t have asked to draw you if I didn’t want you there.’

Naruto is glaring now. ‘Then why-?’

‘I was nervous, okay?’ Sasuke snaps, glaring back.

Naruto blinks, ‘you were… what?’

Sasuke crosses his arms over his chest. ‘I’ve not drawn anyone before… well, not anyone outside of my family or for living drawing classes.’ He pauses. He’s not looking at Naruto anymore, now glaring down at the fresh cut on the side of his foot. He winces. ‘And I’ve definitely not had anyone sleep in my bed before… I don’t know… it just made me panic.’

Naruto is silent.

Sasuke doesn’t dare to look at him. His stomach is twisted with nerves and the gash on his foot is starting to sting. He didn’t even notice it happen but guesses he must have caught it on the gravel. Minutes pass and Naruto still hasn’t said anything. Sasuke swallows, almost ready to turn back home.

‘You’re bleedin’.’

Sasuke grunts, ‘it’s fine. I’ll just-’

Naruto turns away from him and Sasuke feels dread sink into the bottom of his stomach. But then Naruto crouches, glancing at Sasuke from over his shoulder. Sasuke peers at him, bewildered. ‘You gettin’ on or what?’

Sasuke stares at him, ‘what are you doing?’

Naruto huffs. ‘You’re not wearin’ any shoes and your foot is bleedin’. Just get on, will ya?’

Sasuke hesitates. But the blonde shoots him a glare and reluctantly, Sasuke shuffles forward. He braces his hands on Naruto’s shoulders, allowing the blonde to wrap his hands around his thighs. Naruto stands, hoisting Sasuke onto his back, the Uchiha clinging onto him.

‘Huh,’ Naruto comments. ‘You’re not as heavy as I thought you’d be.’

Sasuke isn’t sure if he should feel offended or pleased. But he’s too busy concentrating on the way Naruto’s hair tickles his cheek as Naruto shifts his weight, lifting Sasuke higher up on his hips. Sasuke loosely wraps an arm around Naruto’s neck, his chest pressed up against the blonde’s back. He can smell him, the scent of citrus and washing powder making Sasuke’s stomach twist with nerves. Naruto begins to walk back towards the house.

Naruto seems to carry him with ease, but all Sasuke can focus on is the heat from Naruto’s hands gripping his legs. He’s thankful that the blonde cannot see his burning cheeks. Just as they reach the gate, Sasuke tightens his hold around Naruto’s neck.

‘Thanks,’ he mumbles.

He doesn’t see Naruto’s wide grin.

๑

After dinner, Mikoto and Fugaku invite Naruto for some drinks.

When he asks the occasion, he almost regrets it.

Fugaku frowns at him, ‘did you forget? It’s Sasuke’s birthday tomorrow.’

Naruto hopes to the gods that his embarrassment doesn’t show on his face. Both Itachi and Sasuke look at him with matching expressions of poorly hidden panic. ‘Sorry,’ Naruto blurts, ashamed. ‘I’ve been super busy lately. I even forgot to bring his present with me earlier.’

‘You actually got him a gift?’ Mikoto asks, eyes wide and glossy.

Taken aback by her reaction, Naruto lies, ‘I left it in my dad’s car… in fact, let me just-’

‘Nonsense!’ Fugaku exclaims so loudly that Naruto instantly sinks back down into his chair. ‘His birthday isn’t until tomorrow. You can bring it over in the morning.’

Naruto reluctantly agrees, taking a tiny sip of the beer that had been offered to him. He sends a quick text to Kakashi, fingers barely forming proper words as he rapidly begs his father to buy Sasuke’s a birthday present on his behalf.

‘It’s our tradition to share drinks on the birthday eve,’ Mikoto explains to him, curling into her husband’s side. Fugaku’s spare arm wraps around her shoulder. ‘Sasuke has never invited a friend over before, so it’s not your fault that you didn’t know.’

Sasuke’s expression is unreadable.

Naruto hums, watching as Shisui enters the room, carrying a box.

‘For god’s sake,’ Sasuke hisses. ‘Do we have to?’

‘Of course!’ Mikoto claps her hands excitedly. ‘It’s tradition, Sasuke.’

‘I’m not ten years old anymore,’ he huffs, gulping down his glass of wine.

Itachi elbows him in warning, but Sasuke ignores him. Shisui clears the table, spreading out the contents of the box.

‘Monopoly?’ Naruto questions, grinning as he leans forward in his chair. ‘I haven’t played this in years.’

His phone vibrates with a reply from Kakashi.

_You owe me._

Naruto smiles, replying with a quick thanks before shoving his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. He glances up to meet Sasuke’s gaze. The raven head, clearly having not expected to be caught staring, blinks at Naruto. The blonde doesn’t miss the warming of his pale cheeks, his lips curling upwards at the sight. Clearing his throat, Sasuke breaks eye contact first, standing.

‘I’m going to get another drink.’

He swiftly disappears from the room, limping slightly. Naruto eyes the bandage Mikoto had secured around Sasuke’s foot until the youngest Uchiha is out of view.

‘Bring the cider in!’ Shisui yells after him. He finishes arranging the pieces on the board, making sure that all of the money is neatly stacked. ‘Right, who’s playing?’

Fugaku, Mikoto and Itachi all echo an agreement.

‘Blondie?’ Shisui prompts.

Naruto shakes his head, ‘I’ve never been good at monopoly.’

‘You have to play,’ Itachi argues. ‘It’s tradition.’

Naruto grins, ‘I can be banker?’

Shisui agrees that his position is good enough, shoving the tray of money into Naruto’s hands. Sasuke re-enters, carrying a box of cider under one arm, a bottle of champagne in the other. He dumps the cider onto Shisui’s lap, hogging the champagne to himself as he fills his glass before offering it to his parents. As he fills their glasses, Shisui tells everyone to choose their player.

‘Naruto is playing too?’ Sasuke asks, choosing to take Shisui’s previous seat, sitting next to said blonde.

‘I’m the banker,’ Naruto says, accepting the can of cider that Shisui throws at him. He pops the lid open, drinking a large mouthful, unaware that Sasuke’s eyes are watching the way his Adam’s apple bobs in his throat.

Thankfully, his not-so-innocent thoughts are distracted by the game starting.

It takes several rounds before Naruto eventually gives in and swaps roles with Fugaku. Only to lose horribly. He begrudgingly switches back to the role of banker, and it takes another six games before everyone eventually tires of Shisui’s winning streak.

It is well past midnight when Naruto leaves with the promise to return the next morning.

Sasuke is just about to pull his duvet over his head when he receives Naruto’s text. He’s stolen the blonde’s forgotten hoodie, the sleeves too long for his arms, the fabric soft against his skin. He shivers, settling back against his pillows as he reaches for his phone, the light emitting a dull glow against his face as he squints at the screen.

_Goodnight, Sasuke._

Sasuke falls asleep, inhaling Naruto’s scent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	10. [23rd July - 01]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- this chapter will be split into two parts because it's going to be quite lengthy.  
\- i hope that everyone had a very merry christmas! happy holidays!  


‘You owe me,’ Kakashi reminds Naruto as soon as the blonde emerges from his bedroom the next morning. Naruto has barely wiped the sleep from his eyes when the silver haired man had pounced on him, preventing him from entering the bathroom for a much needed shower. ‘Literally, you owe me like fifty big ones.’

Naruto glares at him, struggling to keep his eyes open.

‘They charge ten quid for a pen in there,’ Kakashi tells him, ignoring the scowl that’s flashed at him. ‘I dunno if he’ll even like it, but I got one of those paint sets.’

Naruto frowns, ‘it cost fifty for a paint set? Jesus, ‘Kashi, what’d you do that for?’

It’s Kakashi’s turn to glare, ‘because my _favourite _son begged me to.’ Naruto barges past him to enter the bathroom, Kakashi following. ‘He better like it ‘cause I’m not going to be able to eat for two weeks.’

Naruto snorts out a laugh at the exaggeration. ‘You didn’t hafta spend so much.’ He busies himself with preparing to brush his teeth. ‘’Sides, you’ll get your money back. I’ll take some money out later.’

Kakashi leans against the doorway, waving a hand dismissively before crossing his arms over his chest. He watches Naruto brush his teeth, the foam beginning to form in the corner’s of his mouth. ‘You like him a lot, don’t you?’

The question catches Naruto off guard.

He chokes, inhaling a large amount of toothpaste. Coughing, his face reddens as he splutters the remaining foam from his lips. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he turns to glare at Kakashi with watery eyes.

‘What?’

Unfazed, Kakashi looks at him pointedly, ‘you made me go out at ten o’clock at night to get him a birthday present. And you didn’t even argue about giving me the money back.’ He tilts his head to the side, curious, ‘I know you told us that it’s ‘cause his brother wants him to have some friends, but that’s not it, is it? You actually like him.’

Naruto doesn’t answer.

‘Listen,’ Kakashi says, smiling softly, ‘from one gay man to another,’ he ignores Naruto’s snort. ‘Just make sure the house is empty if you decide to sleep with him.’

‘It was one time!’ Naruto yells at his retreating back, cheeks hot at Kakashi’s loud bark of laughter.

He huffs, turning his head to look at his reflection.

The 23rd of July.

Sasuke’s birthday.

Naruto may not have remembered attending the same school as him, but he’s going to make sure that he never forgets this date.

He recalls Sasuke’s flustered state when he’d carried back him to the house, how warm he’d felt pressed against Naruto’s back.

Naruto smiles without even meaning to.

Only to stop as soon as he notices.

_No._

Kakashi was wrong.

Naruto doesn’t like Sasuke.

He _can’t _like him.

Sasuke is his friend. That was the agreement and Naruto would be damned if he let anything ruin that. Even if it means he has to pretend that Sasuke’s entire existence doesn’t make him giddy with nerves.

Running his fingers through his hair, Naruto groans.

_Who is he kidding?_

He’s never done this before. Sure, his dads had accidentally walked in on him with a boy halfway through his fourth year of high school. But he’s never had _romantic _feelings for a guy before. And he’s not entirely opposed to the idea of Sasuke being the first.

His shoulders slump.

He dares himself to imagine differently, but he already knows Sasuke would never see him in that way. Sasuke sees him as someone who is pretending to be his friend. A favour - that’s it. Naruto needs to remember this. He can’t allow his growing crush to ruin the only chance he’ll ever have at befriending the young Uchiha.

He slaps his cheeks to waken himself up properly.

‘Naruto!’ Iruka shouts his name from downstairs. ‘Breakfast!’

Naruto rushes to get dressed after relieving himself, pausing to close the toilet lid to avoid his dad scolding him. He grabs his phone from his bed, swinging the door shut behind him. Entering the kitchen, he sees that Kakashi is already digging into his breakfast, grinning at Naruto as he sits down next to him.

‘Mornin’,’ he greets them, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand.

‘When was the last time you were able to say that during the actual morning?’ Kakashi teases him, easily dodging the kick Naruto aims at his shin.

‘I’m actually proud that he’s awake this early,’ Iruka comments as he places a plate of breakfast before his son. ‘I’m starting to like this Sasuke fellow already.’

Both Naruto and Kakashi snort at the word ‘fellow’.

‘He’s not the entire reason I’m up,’ Naruto grumbles, shovelling down a mouthful of egg. He barely chews before swallowing, ‘I need to stop by the shop before I go over.’

Iruka joins them at the table, nursing a mug of coffee. ‘The shop?’ He repeats.

Naruto hums. ‘Neji needs to speak to me about summin’. He’s workin’ today, so I’m gonna stop by before I go to Sasuke’s.’ He continues to scarf down his breakfast.

‘I wonder what for,’ Iruka comments, although he doesn’t appear to be wondering at all. Kakashi doesn’t even bother to hide his disinterest, scrolling through his phone on one hand, feeding himself with the other. Naruto eats as much food as his stomach can stand. He even consumes two cups of tea before deciding that he’s waited long enough.

‘Where’s his present, then?’

Kakashi points to a spot beside the armchair, watching as Naruto leans over the side to look.

‘Holy shit, it’s massive.’

Iruka elbows his husband before he can make a rude remark.

‘How the hell am I s‘posed to carry this on my bike?’

‘I can give you a ride,’ Kakashi offers, looking as if he wants Naruto to decline his offer.

‘Sweet,’ Naruto says, grinning. He’s examining the large box with care. He hopes that Sasuke will like the set, his fingers ghosting over the clasps as he wonders what’s inside.

‘You not going to look?’ Kakashi asks, eyebrow quirking.

‘Nah,’ Naruto relaxes back into his chair. He’s smiling now. ‘Sasuke should be the first to open it.’

Iruka smiles softly.

‘You like him.’

Naruto groans out loud. ‘Why does everyone keep sayin’ that?’

Iruka and Kakashi answer at the same time.

‘’Cause it’s true.’

‘Who’s everyone?’

‘Kiba keeps goin’ on about it too,’ Naruto huffs, frowning. ‘Keeps tellin’ me to f-’

Iruka interrupts him, ‘Naruto, I love Kiba, truly, I do. But do not listen to that boy. We all know that he thinks more with his penis than his brain.’

Kakashi laughs, nodding an agreement.

‘It’s okay if you like him, you know,’ Iruka gives his son a smile of encouragement. ‘Maybe this… deal you have going… maybe it doesn’t have to just result in a friendship.’

‘Sasuke isn’t gay,’ Naruto deadpans, scowling.

At this, Kakashi almost chokes on his coffee. He splutters a laugh, ‘you are kidding, right?’ He looks at his husband, ‘trust me, I’ve seen him. The kid is definitely gay.’

‘You don’t know that,’ Naruto snaps. ‘You can’t assume just ‘cause-’

‘’Cause what?’ Kakashi cuts him off. ‘’Cause it’s true?’ He leans forward in his seat. ‘Naruto, he _literally _couldn’t take his eyes off of you.’

The comment makes Naruto’s cheeks warm. He pretends as if he can’t feel it. ‘So?’

Kakashi’s lips part, but Iruka beats him to it.

‘Maybe he just doesn’t know he’s gay?’

Naruto gawks at him. ‘I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that.’

‘What? It could happen,’ Iruka looks at him, wide eyed. ‘Plenty of men don’t realise they’re gay until they meet the right person. Kakashi didn’t.’ He nudges his husband, grinning.

‘Ah, what a much simpler time,’ Kakashi exhales, narrowly dodging the elbow Iruka aims at his ribs.

Naruto slouches in his seat, ‘I don’t know if he’s been with anyone-’ He pointedly ignores Iruka’s ‘see?’, leaning his head back against the cushion. ‘-But it don’t mean he doesn’t know if he’s gay or not. Loads of people are single but know their sexuality.’

‘He has a point,’ Kakashi points out.

‘You’re contradicting yourself,’ Iruka points out. ‘You just said that Sasuke likes him.’

Kakashi nods, taking a large sip of coffee, ‘you also have a point.’ He sinks back into his seat, indicating that he’s finished with the conversation.

‘My point is,’ Iruka looks at Naruto, who also looks bored of the conversation, ‘things may not go the way you expect. Keep an open mind.’

Naruto glares at him, ‘weren’t you just tellin’ me to be careful of him a minute ago? What happened to that?’

Iruka grins, ‘if Sasuke can get you to wake up before midday, everyday, he’s welcome in this house any time he likes.’

‘I hate you,’ Naruto rolls his eyes, lips quirking upwards at Iruka’s laughter.

๑

‘I-I hope you like it.’

Sasuke hasn’t spoken for a few minutes. In fact, he’s been silent ever since Naruto had shown up on the doorstep, straining to carry the large wooden box up the stairs. Now it stands on Sasuke’s desk, the dark haired man silently inspecting the contents as Naruto watches him, nervous.

Rows upon rows of carefully arranged paint tubes are revealed as Sasuke unclasps the locks, pushing the lid open. He’s careful as he pulls the trays open to reveal pencils in every shade and colour that Naruto can think of, as well as a seemingly endless stock of brushes. Naruto doesn’t know much about art, but from the awe-filled expression on Sasuke’s face, he knows that Kakashi made the right call.

‘Oh wow,’ is the first thing Sasuke says.

The tension in Naruto’s body is relieved immediately and he smiles widely. ‘D’ya like it?’

Sasuke’s eyes snap to his, ‘like it?’ He glances at the box, an index finger gingerly stroking one of the brushes. His expression is calm, but his eyes look glossy. Naruto is taken aback. ‘I love it,’ Sasuke admits, the tips of his ears tinged with red. ‘Where’d you even find it?’

‘Dad helped me,’ Naruto admits, sheepish.

Sasuke almost smiles and the sight knocks the breath from Naruto’s lungs.

He can’t do this.

He can’t keep lying to himself. He can’t pretend that he’s okay, especially when Sasuke looks at him like that. His stomach is filled with nerves and it’s starting to make him feel sick. He blinks, gaze shifting to the assortment of pencils. ‘Look, I know we agreed to just do this so Itachi would get off your back.’

Sasuke is looking at him now, Naruto can feel it. But he doesn’t dare to look up.

‘But I can’t pretend anymore.’

‘What-?’

He immediately hears the panic in Sasuke’s voice, but he doesn’t allow the raven haired man to finish his sentence. ‘I don’t want to just pretend,’ Naruto says, finally looking at Sasuke. Sasuke stares back at him, eyes wide, cheeks reddened. ‘I like you. And I know you said we’d never be mates or whatever,’ Naruto frowns as he recalls the conversation. ‘But I already think of you as my friend.’ He pauses. ‘I’m not expectin’ you to want the same, but I just wanted to tell you ‘cause I can’t keep lyin’ to your family.’

Sasuke expressions immediately darkens. ‘So you’re going to tell them, then.’ 

It’s not a question, Naruto realises. It’s an accusation.

‘No,’ he denies. ‘I’m not going to tell them what happened… it’s just that when I tell people that you’re my friend, I’m going to actually mean it.’

Sasuke stares at him. His eyes are still wide with shock, his skin flushed. He looks as if he wants to cry and Naruto honestly hopes that he doesn’t because he isn’t sure if he can handle comforting Sasuke without hugging him. Something he’s sure wouldn’t be appreciated.

For a long time, he stares back.

A part of him wants to tell Sasuke that he actually likes him a little more than friends, but he also thinks it’s way too soon. He’s also ninety-nine percent sure that Sasuke will never feel the same. The thought makes him wince, something that doesn’t go unseen by the Uchiha.

‘Naruto, I-’

‘Holy crap,’ Shisui suddenly barges into the room. ‘’Tachi, look at this!’

Sasuke flinches as his cousin saunters over to the desk, examining the box.

Shisui lets out a long whistle, nodding at Naruto with approval, ‘that’s pretty cool.’

‘Yeah,’ Naruto says glumly. He’s taken a step back to lean against the wall. Itachi follows the sound of Shisui’s excited chatter, eyes widening with surprise as he eyes Naruto’s gift.

‘This must have cost a lot of money,’ he accuses, picking at a pencil. Only for Sasuke to slap his hand away.

Naruto shrugs, voice quiet, ‘he’s worth it.’

Sasuke turns away to wipe at the lone tear that manages to escape. He clears his throat, busying himself with closing up the box.

‘Anyway,’ Naruto announces, voice sounding livelier. ‘I should go.’

All three Uchiha look at him.

‘You’re not staying?’ Sasuke dares to ask, hating how unsure his own voice sounds.

Naruto pushes his body from the wall, forcing a smile. He takes a step towards the door. ‘I can’t today. I’ve got work today.’ It’s a half lie - Neji _had_ asked him to come in to cover for Sai again - but Sasuke knows it’s an excuse. An excuse to get away from him. ‘I’ll see you guys ‘round.’ He spares one last look at Sasuke, expression guarded, smile forced. ‘Happy Birthday, Sasuke.’

And then before anyone can stop him, he leaves with a wave, closing the door behind him.

‘He okay?’ Shisui asks, a small frown forming between his eyebrows. 

Sasuke expression is stoic. Naruto’s confession had both shocked and elated him. He knows that it was him who said they couldn’t become friends, but he can’t deny that it felt good to hear Naruto say _I like you_. And yet as Sasuke stares at the closed door, he can’t help but feel upset that Naruto had left so quickly. He didn’t even get to tell the blonde that he likes him too.

‘Yeah,’ he lies. ‘He’s fine.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	11. [23rd July - 02]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- this chapter is fluff, fluff, fluff. it's also slightly longer, so i hope you enjoy!  


Naruto has spent the past three hours staring at the clock. He’s supposed to be helping Neji unpack the boxes of stationary that have just been delivered, but his mind is elsewhere. Focused on one person in particular. He leans against the counter, running his fingers through his hair as he eyes the clock for the umpteenth time.

Another two hours to go.

‘Oi,’ Neji snaps at him from the doorway of the storage closet. ‘You’re supposed to be helping.’

Naruto sighs heavily. Begrudgingly, he joins the grey eyed man, helping him to heave the remaining boxes through the doorway. ‘We gotta unpack all of these today?’

Neji eyes the stack of boxes, seeming just as out of it as Naruto is. ‘No,’ he replies, blinking slowly. ‘Asuma said to just put out the new notebooks. We can do the rest on Saturday.’

The two begin to sort through the boxes, working together in a comfortable silence. 

Eventually, Neji breaks it by asking about Sasuke.

‘What ‘bout him?’ Naruto huffs, heaving another box to the other side of the room. He rips the tape open with a pair of scissors, pushing the lid back to look inside. More notebooks.

Neji is placing some on the shelves out in the shop. ‘I thought you liked him,’ he calls out to Naruto.

‘Can everyone stop saying this?’ Naruto snaps, walking out of the stockroom to push another pile of notebooks into Neji’s arms. ‘We’re just mates.’

Neji eyes him, dubious, ‘really?’

‘Yes,’ Naruto says, eyebrows pinching together. ‘That’s what he wants, so that’s what we are.’

Neji is frowning now. He places the notebooks on the front counter. ‘And what about what you want?’

Naruto doesn’t know how to answer.

‘Do you only see him as a friend?’ Neji asks. ‘Or do you like him more than that?’ He watches as Naruto exhales heavily, eyes squeezing shut before they open to focus on the door.

‘I dunno,’ he answers quietly. His expression is crestfallen and Neji almost feels bad for asking in the first place. ‘I like him… I just feel like it’s too soon, ya know? Like, is it even normal to fall for someone this fast?’

Neji looks at him pointedly, ‘look at me and Sai.’ He smiles, ‘it only took us two weeks.’

Naruto nods, recalling.

‘It doesn’t matter if it’s been weeks or months,’ Neji tells him. ‘If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Screw what other people think.’

Naruto winces, ‘he doesn’t feel the same.’

Neji begins to neatly stack the notebooks onto the shelves. ‘Have you even asked him?’

‘…No.’

Naruto picks at a loose strand in the hem of his t-shirt.

‘But I don’t need to. I can just tell, ya know?’

Neji’s eyes roll, large and silver and unnervingly all-knowing. ‘Naruto, I’ve known you almost as long as Kiba has. I know you’re stupid-’

‘Thanks,’ Naruto replies dryly.

‘-But you can’t be this dumb, surely,’ Neji continues, ignoring him. ‘Sasuke is interested in you too. Even Sai says so.’

Naruto’s eyes narrow, ‘bullshit.’ He turns towards the stockroom, ready to unpack another box.

Neji’s lips quirk, ‘I’m being serious. Whenever he calls to place an order, he always asks if it’s you who’s delivering.’

Naruto trips over his own feet, almost landing face first onto the floor. Luckily, his reflexes are fast enough and he catches himself on the doorframe, grunting under his breath.

‘Sai offered once,’ Neji continues, unaware. ‘The other day, when you came in hangover? He called that morning. Wouldn’t let Sai deliver his parcel and said it had to be you.’

Naruto doesn’t know what to say. Or think.

‘He probably won’t ever say anything,’ Neji sorts through another pile of notebooks. ‘But I think he likes you more than he’s letting on.’

Naruto scoffs at this, ‘that ain’t hard. He doesn’t act like he likes me at all.’

‘This is Sasuke we’re talking about,’ Neji states pointedly. ‘He’s always been closed off. Why’d you think he had no friends at school?’

Naruto is barely listening at this point. He’s now nursing a sore spot on the palm of his hand, wincing as he sees the reddened skin. He ignores the bite of pain, shaking his hand before entering the stockroom again. The conversation dies and for the next forty-five minutes, he sets a routine of opening boxes and sorting through the notebooks before passing them over to Neji, who stacks them onto the shelves.

It isn’t long before they’ve finished.

Naruto eyes the clock again.

‘Might as well as work on the pens,’ he suggests when he realises that they’ve still got another hour left of their shift. Neji agrees, although his bored expression mirrors exactly how Naruto feels.

‘Don’t drop any,’ Neji reminds Naruto as they sort through the boxes to find the fountain pens Asuma had ordered. ‘Asuma’ll have our heads if we break any.’

‘I swear no-one buys these,’ Naruto stares at the cluster of pens he’s carrying.

‘Sasuke does,’ Neji smirks at the look of irritation that appears on the blonde’s face as he turns his head to glare back at him. ‘Every month or so, he buys one. The black ones with the orange strips are his favourite.’

Naruto glares, but he’s silently processing Neji’s words as he eyes the black and orange pens. He sneaks one from the pile, slipping it into the back pocket of his jeans. If Neji notices, he doesn’t comment. Naruto doesn’t care. He’ll pay for it later.

They work together to arrange the pens in the holders out on display.

It’s only half an hour before the end of their shift when the front door opens, the little bell jingling. Naruto, distracted by his task, doesn’t look up, allowing Neji to deal with the customer.

However, as soon as he hears Sasuke’s voice, his eyes instantly focus on him, a pen falling from his hands and smacking against the desk. To Naruto’s annoyance, the impact is hard enough to break the nib and he curses loudly, scrambling to pick it up before Neji notices.

But it’s already too late, large grey eyes glancing at him.

‘I told you to not break any.’

‘I fuckin’ know,’ Naruto snaps, throwing the pen in the bin. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose.’

Sasuke watches silently as Naruto ducks behind the desk, retrieving the lid before discarding it. He waits for the blonde to look at him, hesitantly taking a step closer as Naruto’s eyes focus on him.

‘Hi.’

Naruto swallows, ‘hey.’

Neji looks between the two of them before excusing himself, disappearing into Asuma’s office.

‘Uh,’ Naruto pauses to clear his throat. ‘What are you doin’ here?’

He almost misses the tiny narrowing of Sasuke’s eyes, dark and critical. ‘Am I not welcome here?’

‘Why wouldn’t you be?’ Naruto plays dumb, turning away to grab an empty box. He makes his way towards the stockroom once again. Sasuke follows, pausing by the doorway.

‘I came to ask if you were free after your shift.’

Naruto continues to sort the empty boxes into a neat pile. ‘Yeah, why?’

Sasuke hesitates.

Naruto glances at him from over his shoulder, ‘Sasuke?’

‘I’m going to visit the library.’ Sasuke isn’t looking at him. ‘Would you like to come with me?’

Naruto’s nose is scrunching with disgust before he can even stop it. ‘You’re goin’ to the library on your birthday?’

Sasuke’s face is expressionless, ‘you don’t have to come with me. I was just asking.’ He makes a move to turn away, but Naruto’s hand shoots out, grabbing his wrist to keep him in place.

‘Wait,’ he says. ‘I didn’t say I wouldn’t come.’

Sasuke eyes Naruto’s hand. His skin is so much paler than the blonde’s, the contrast stark. Naruto’s hand is large, warm, and Sasuke prays that his ears aren’t turning red. If he moved his hand a couple of inches, they’d be holding hand. He clears his throat, gently tugging his arm free from Naruto’s grasp. ‘Okay.’

He takes a step back, ready to turn away. Naruto follows, ‘where you goin’?’

‘I’m going to tell Itachi that he doesn’t have to wait for me.’

Naruto watches him walk out of the shop, only to return in less than a minute.

‘When do you finish?’

Naruto glances at the clock, ‘’bout twenty minutes.’

Neji emerges from Asuma’s office, pointing at the seat behind the counter, ‘you can sit there whilst you wait,’ he offers to Sasuke. The raven head nods his thanks, following Neji’s suggestion.

Naruto busies himself with clearing out the empty boxes, neatly stacking them away from the ones they’ve yet to unpack. Unaware of Sasuke’s gaze following his every move, he finishes the job in record timing.

‘I’ll lock up,’ Neji offers as Naruto is pulling his hoodie over his head.

‘You sure?’ He quizzes, guilt all over his face.

Neji waves him off, ‘it’s his birthday. Go have fun.’

Naruto grins coyly. ‘Thanks, Neji. I owe you.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Neji says, amused. He shoos them out of the shop, not listening as Naruto asks him once more if he’s sure. ‘I’ll see you on Saturday,’ Neji insists. ‘Bye.’ He slams the door shut in Naruto’s face before the blonde can protest.

Naruto turns to Sasuke.

‘Lead the way,’ he grins.

And Sasuke does.

The walk to the library isn’t too far. For the most of it, the pair are silent, each silently basking in the presence of the other. When they come to a halt outside the library, it is Naruto who breaks the silence.

‘You sure you want to go to the library on your birthday?’

Sasuke glares at him. Naruto grins.

‘Okay, okay,’ he mocks surrender, raising his hands. ‘But I just have one compromise.’

Sasuke’s eyes are immediately narrowed. ‘What?’

‘Don’t look at me like that,’ Naruto laughs. ‘I was just gonna ask if you wanted to come back to mine for a drink.’

‘A drink?’ Sasuke blinks.

‘It’s your birthday,’ Naruto insists. ‘You gotta have a birthday drink.’

Sasuke immediately agrees, much faster than Naruto expected.

‘Really?’

‘Really,’ Sasuke repeats.

‘Okay, great!’ Naruto is beaming now, so much so that it makes Sasuke’s stomach flutter. Naruto grabs Sasuke’s hand, tugging him forwards as he rushes inside the library. He ignores the disapproving look that the receptionist aims at him, pulling Sasuke after him. ‘Which way?’

‘Upstairs,’ Sasuke says quietly, eyes trained in on their joined hands.

Naruto leads the way, barging through the large double doors situated at the top of the stairs. They gain a few curious glances, some that linger at the sight of their joined hands.

‘Right, so which books d’ya like?’ Naruto asks, not even bothering to wait for Sasuke’s reply before he pulls him towards the ‘History of Arts’ aisle. ‘I don’t understand any of this shit, but I bet you like reading ‘em.’

He was right, Sasuke acknowledges. He did like reading them. But he wasn’t after one of those today.

‘Wrong way, idiot,’ he insults Naruto. He takes control, now pulling the blonde after him instead. He leads Naruto to a restricted section of the library.

‘Restricted?’ Naruto reads the sign, chuckling. ‘They got porn in here or summin’?’

The reddened tips of Sasuke’s ears confirm his question.

‘Holy shit, really?’ Naruto gapes as Sasuke tugs him down the aisle. ‘You read porn?’

Sasuke grunts, not answering.

‘That’s kinda hot.’

Sasuke comes to a halt, forcing Naruto to walk straight into him.

‘Sasuke?’

‘I don’t read it to get off,’ Sasuke hisses. He lets go of Naruto’s hand, ignoring the fact that he immediately misses the contact. ‘I just use the pictures as references for my own art.’

Naruto’s grin is both lazy and accusing. ‘Sure you don’t.’

‘I don’t like porn!’ Sasuke snaps, his voice a lot louder than he intended. Someone shushes them and he ducks his head, ashamed. After a few moments, he whispers, ‘I don’t… I don’t do… _that._’

Naruto gawks at him, ‘dude, what?’

Sasuke’s cheeks are burning now.

‘You don’t…? What, like, ever?’

‘Not for a very long time,’ Sasuke blurts, immediately regretting it. He prays for the ground to swallow him whole.

Naruto doesn’t know what to say, so he says nothing at all. His thoughts are taking a very dangerous turn into something non-innocent. He distracts himself by swiftly changing the subject.

‘So what you here for?’

Sasuke clears his throat, looking away. ‘I know where it is, give me a second.’ He disappears down the aisle, leaving Naruto by himself.

The blonde can hear him shuffling through the books and so he decides to have a nosey himself. Choosing a book at random, he yanks one from the shelf, flicking the pages. Once he realises just what type of book he’s opened, his own cheeks burn with embarrassment.

He’s never seen such graphic drawings of sex, and whilst he’s fascinated by the detail, he wonders if this is the type of porn Sasuke likes to draw. Cheeks hot, he flicks through the pages, coming across a page that depicts two men in a rather raunchy position. Eyes snapping towards the direction of where he guesses Sasuke is, Naruto pictures the raven head instead before he can stop himself. His teeth grit together and he closes his eyes, willing away the tightness that’s begun to form in his jeans.

‘What are you reading?’

Naruto immediately snaps the book shut, shoving it back onto the shelf before Sasuke can see what he’s looking at. ‘Nothing,’ he says quickly.

Too quickly.

Sasuke’s eyes narrow with suspicion.

Naruto chuckles nervously, ‘you find your book?’

Sasuke holds it up to confirm.

‘Okay, good,’ Naruto nods. ‘Let’s get outta here.’

He doesn’t wait for Sasuke’s reply. He begins to lead the way back down to reception, patiently waiting for Sasuke to sign the book out. He watches the receptionist stamp the book’s inside cover, smiling as she hands it over to Sasuke. She bids them a good night, and Naruto is the first to turn away, holding the large door open for Sasuke to walk through first.

‘Thanks,’ Sasuke mumbles, arms wrapping around the large book.

Naruto begins to lead the young Uchiha towards his house. He’s slightly nervous for Sasuke to see his house. It’s small and cosy, nothing grand like the house Sasuke lives in. But home is home. And a part of him is happy to be able to share it with the raven head.

Sasuke trails slightly behind as Naruto turns up the small driveway.

The family car is absent from the driveway and Naruto sags with relief. Sasuke has already met Kakashi, and as sure as he is that the young Uchiha will get along with Iruka as well, Naruto is selfish enough to want Sasuke alone on his birthday.

He pushes the key into the lock, kicking the front door open.

‘After you,’ he smiles sheepishly.

Sasuke steps into the house, eyes awe-filled as he takes in Naruto’s house. The hallway is much smaller than his own, and he can right into both the kitchen on his left, and into the living room on his right. It’s smaller than his own home, but he already prefers it. This is Naruto’s personal space and Sasuke feels warm to know that the blonde had openly shared it with him without a second thought.

‘What’d you like to drink?’ Naruto’s voice makes him jump slightly, and Sasuke looks over his shoulder to answer.

‘Anything.’

Naruto hums, shifting past Sasuke to saunter into the kitchen. He tugs the fridge door open, rummaging through before asking, ‘wine ‘n’ beer alright?’

Sasuke nods, breathing a thanks as Naruto pushes a can into his hands, the drink cold against his hands. He watches Naruto pull out another case of beer, as well as seemingly untouched bottle of rosé. He nudges Sasuke towards the stairs.

‘First door on the left.’

Sasuke walks up the stairs, Naruto close behind him. Pausing by the door, Sasuke hesitates, hand curled around the handle. When he feels another nudge, he slowly pushes the door open, stepping inside Naruto’s bedroom for the first time.

The room is spacious, but evidently smaller than his own. One wall is covered in photographs that have been blu-tacked, and Sasuke recognises both Kiba and Shikamaru. There’s even a few with Neji and Sai. A large computer system is set up on the desk, something which Sasuke suspects Naruto spends most of his free time using. The comfortable looking bed has surprisingly been made, but the floor is littered with clothing, which Naruto hastily kicks out of the way.

‘Take a seat,’ he encourages Sasuke, pushing him towards the bed. Sasuke complies, scooting so far up the bed so that he’s leaning against Naruto’s pillows. He can smell him, smell his sheets, his nose invaded with every smell that’s Naruto. It takes all he has to not inhale greedily, no matter how much he wants to. Instead, he settles for opening his can of beer, taking a large gulp as Naruto takes a seat next to him. He’s sitting so close that their legs are touching, and Sasuke swallows down as much beer as he can.

‘Woah, slow down,’ Naruto laughs. ‘You’ll get drunk too quickly.’

Sasuke glances at him from the corner of his eye, ‘isn’t that why you invited me over?’

Naruto takes a sip of his own beer, the wine placed on his beside table. ‘Well, yeah. But you don’t seem like you drink much. It’ll go straight through ya.’

And he wasn’t wrong.

After just a few drinks, Sasuke was already tipsy. And after another hour of drinking, he was drunk. So drunk that he was now leaning heavily against Naruto’s shoulder, eyes drooping as he stares at the wall of photographs.

‘You have a lot of friends,’ he blurts, his words slightly slurred.

Naruto hums, distracted by Sasuke’s hair brushing against his cheek. ‘I do.’

‘Am I your friend?’ Sasuke asks. There’s a reluctance in Naruto’s answer.

‘Yeah,’ he eventually whispers. ‘You are.’

He’s not as drunk as Sasuke, but the alcohol is making him feel warm, and all he can think about is Sasuke’s body touching his own. Most of his weight is leaning against Naruto’s shoulder, something which the blonde doesn’t seem to mind. His thoughts drift to their conversation in the library and he squirms, pressing his legs tightly together.

‘Naruto?’ Sasuke questions. He leans back, his warmth disappearing as he twists his body to sit up, looking at the blonde. Even when he’s drunk, he’s guarded, his expression blank as he stares at Naruto.

‘Hm?’ Naruto presses his thighs closer together.

Sasuke doesn’t reply.

‘Ya know,’ Naruto suddenly blurts. ‘What you told me earlier…’ He trails off, unsure if Sasuke even remembers. But from the blush that’s starting to form on the Uchiha’s cheeks, he knows that he does. ‘I… I can help you.’

Sasuke stares at him.

Naruto sits up straight. ‘I-I mean, only if you want me to.’

‘Do you want to touch me?’

‘Huh?’ Naruto blanches.

Sasuke leans closer. His eyes flicker to Naruto’s lips and back up again, so fast that Naruto would have missed it if he wasn’t staring at him. His mouth dries as Sasuke shuffles closer, pupils dilated, lips parted.

‘I said,’ he licks his lips. ‘Do you want to touch me?’

Naruto doesn’t even get the chance to reply.

Sasuke’s lips are suddenly brushing against his own, so close, yet not close enough. His eyes close and he inhales Sasuke’s scent, groaning softly as it travels all the way down to his groin.

Drinking was a bad idea, why the hell did he suggest this?

He’s drunk, and Sasuke is even more out of it than he is. The raven head probably doesn’t even want this.

_He’s drunk, he’s drunk, he’s drunk, he’s-_

‘Naruto…?’ Sasuke breathes, his breath hot against Naruto’s lips. ‘Can I ki-?’

Naruto suddenly leans back.

‘We can’t.’

The two words are deafening, even to his own ears.

Sasuke stills, blinking at Naruto, eyes glossy. He sniffles, leaning back, rejected.

Naruto follows him, ‘don’t.’ He grabs Sasuke’s wrist to prevent him from moving any further. ‘You’re just drunk. Save your first kiss for when you’re sober.’

‘My first kiss…?’ Sasuke repeats, voice trailing off before his expression morphs into one of annoyance. He pulls his wrist free, ‘who says I’ve not kissed anyone before?’

Naruto’s grin is lopsided, ‘have you?’

Sasuke’s silence is all telling.

‘See,’ Naruto dares to reach out, fingers brushing a stray strand of hair from Sasuke’s eyes. ‘Save it for when you’re sober… for someone you like.’

Sasuke’s expression is angry now, slapping Naruto’s hand from his face, ‘I do-’

‘We should go to sleep,’ Naruto interrupts, already shifting to remove his jeans. He doesn’t look up to know that Sasuke is mimicking his actions. Pulling the duvet up to his chin, he closes his eyes as he forces the nerves in his stomach to calm. He feels Sasuke lay down beside him. He knows Sasuke is probably annoyed at being rejected, but he also know that he’s done the right thing.

Or so he hopes.

He feels Sasuke moving to lie on his side, and so he does the same. They face one another, Sasuke’s eyes already closed. His expression has relaxed into one of exhaustion and Naruto smiles softly.

‘Happy Birthday, Sasuke,’ he murmurs.

Sasuke makes a noise, shuffling a little closer. Naruto reaches to tug at the inky strands of hair, and Sasuke doesn’t push him away. Naruto’s smile widens. Sasuke is close enough that they’re now sharing body heat, and it makes Naruto’s stomach twist with butterflies.

He drifts to sleep, fingers buried in Sasuke’s hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	12. [picture perfect]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- i struggled with titling this chapter; if you notice it change, please ignore.  
\- a friend proof-read this for me and liked how soft it is, so i hope you guys do too!  


Naruto wakes to the sound of hushed voices.

‘Look at how cute-!’

‘-Give me the damn camera, Iruka!’ 

There’s a fumbling, followed by a loud thud. Naruto’s eyes snap open and it takes him several seconds to realise his arms are wrapped around Sasuke’s shoulders, their legs tangled together. Bleary eyed, he watches Sasuke exhale deeply in his sleep, somehow undisturbed by the commotion. But he doesn’t have the chance to admire the sleeping raven-head.

‘Fucking give it to me,’ he hears Kakashi hissing from the other side of the room.

‘N-No!’ Iruka’s voice sounds muffled, strained.

Huffing under his breath, Naruto squeezes his eyes shut before reluctantly detangling his limbs from Sasuke’s. He shifts his body into an upright position, rubbing his eyes before they focus on his parents. Kakashi has one arm wrapped around his husband’s neck in what looks like an uncomfortable headlock. His other arm stretches for the camera that Naruto recognises from previous family holidays.

A scowl immediately forms as he realises what’s happening.

‘Dad,’ he growls lowly, careful to not awaken Sasuke.

Both pairs of eyes snap to him, one narrowed in annoyance, the other wide with guilt.

‘Aha, Naruto-’ Iruka starts, only to groan in pain as Kakashi tightens his arm. ‘L-Let go!’

‘Delete the photo,’ Kakashi orders, ignoring him.

‘No!’ Iruka argues. ‘It’s a nice photograph.’

Naruto glares, ‘please tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.’

‘I didn’t-’

‘He did.’ 

‘Kakashi!’ Iruka exclaims a little too loudly. ‘I thought you loved me.’

Kakashi smirks, but doesn’t loosen his hold, ‘I do.’

Iruka struggles to free himself, ‘then let me go.’

‘Delete the photo first.’

Kakashi doesn’t even look like he’s trying, Naruto notes. And if he wasn’t annoyed by the rude awakening, he’d probably smile at their bickering. He glances to his right, everyone suddenly silent as Sasuke shifts in his sleep, rolling onto his back. His fringe fans across his forehead and his lips are parted a little. His nose scrunches, and Naruto’s stomach flips at the sight. Before he can hide it, he’s smiling, watching the gentle rise and fall of Sasuke’s chest.

‘See,’ Iruka whispers. ‘They’re in l-’

‘If you don’t delete the photo,’ Kakashi threatens, ‘I’m filing for a divorce.’

Iruka laughs and even Naruto snorts under his breath.

‘Let me see,’ he orders, hand outstretched towards his parents.

Iruka hesitates. Even Kakashi looks surprised. 

Naruto frowns, ‘why’re you lookin’ at me like that?’ 

‘You want-?’ Iruka starts, only to be interrupted by the sound of Sasuke’s voice. 

‘Naruto…’

The blonde’s eyes immediately snap to his friend, watching as dark eyes slowly blink open, heavily lidded as they focus on him. And then he feels Sasuke stiffen beside him, his body suddenly shooting upright. A hand flies to his temple as he grits his teeth, eyes narrowed as he quickly realises that they’re not alone.

‘Uh…’

Still trapped in Kakashi’s headlock, Iruka beams, waving a hand, ‘hi! It’s lovely to finally meet you, Sasuke!’

Naruto’s eyes close, embarrassed. He tries to not focus on Sasuke’s body heat, nor think about how the bedsheets have pooled in the raven-head’s lap to reveal that he’d somehow peeled his shirt off in the middle of the night. He clears his throat, daring to look as Sasuke leans across the bed to offer his hand.

Iruka strains to return the handshake, pulling Kakashi along with him, who stubbornly refuses to let go.

‘It’s nice to meet you too,’ Sasuke’s voice is laced with exhaustion, but he doesn’t seem to be in a rush to leave, much to Naruto’s relief. Sasuke runs his fingers through his hair, blinking down at his chest. He seems to not recall removing his shirt either, Naruto notices. His gaze focuses on Kakashi, eyes gleaming with recognition, ‘hello.’

Kakashi grins as if he doesn’t have his husband locked under his bicep, ‘yo. Nice to see you again.’

‘Likewise,’ comes Sasuke’s blunt reply. He’s sheepish, and Naruto doesn’t miss the way he subtly leans closer to him.

He hides his grin by busying himself with looking for his phone. He finds it hidden under his pillow, ignoring his parents as they begin to bicker again.

‘-It now!’

‘Delete what?’

Everyone looks at Sasuke as he utters the dreaded question.

‘Nothing!’ Iruka and Naruto snap at the same time. The blonde immediately abandons his phone, throwing it behind him.

‘Idiots,’ Kakashi’s eyes roll. He doesn’t bother to hide his frustration as he pulls Iruka backwards, making the brunette stumble to catch his balance.

‘Are you sure?’ Sasuke asks, eyes a little wide. ‘I’m good with technology,’ he points at the camera in Iruka’s tight grasp. ‘I can help?’

Naruto looks between both Kakashi and Iruka, the latter matching the blonde’s panicked expression with one of his own. Sasuke’s surprise is beginning to morph into suspicion and to Naruto’s horror, he’s leaning across the bed again to take the camera from Iruka’s hand.

And for whatever reason known to him and him only, a flustered Iruka passes it over.

Kakashi’s eyes widen this time, and Naruto wishes for the ground to swallow him whole. He doesn’t dare to look at the man beside him as he listens to Sasuke clicking on the camera’s buttons. He’s not seen the photograph for himself, but he’s ninety-nine percent sure that he knows it’s of himself and Sasuke. And it’s confirmed by the sharp intake of breath that Sasuke sucks in between his lips.

There’s a pause.

And then, ‘I think you should keep it.’

Iruka’s expression immediately brightens, ‘r-right?’ Kakashi has loosened his hold from shock, and Iruka manages to pry himself free. He straightens up, huffing out a breath. ‘I think it’s a cute picture.’

‘That you took without consent,’ Kakashi reminds him, side-eyeing him.

Iruka dismisses his comment with a wave of his hand. ‘It’s _cute_, Kakashi. Sasuke agrees, don’t you, Sasuke?’

Sasuke’s voice is faint, ‘yes.’

Naruto holds his hand out, ‘lemme see.’

Sasuke looks at him, expression unreadable. He gently presses the camera into Naruto’s waiting hand. And before Naruto can look at the picture, Sasuke asks to use the bathroom.

Iruka smiles, politely permitting him. Kakashi jerks a thumb over his shoulder, ‘the door on the left.’

Sasuke moves from the bed and exits the room as fast as his feet will take him.

‘There’s a spare toothbrush under the sink,’ Kakashi tells him as he turns the corner. Sasuke calls out a soft thanks and the bedroom door swings shut behind him.

Naruto’s gaze focuses on the photo and his cheeks flush. He and Sasuke are indeed the focus of the image, the pair wrapped together in their deep slumber. Naruto’s arm is under Sasuke’s neck, forearm bent upwards so his hands are tangled in the raven-head’s locks. Sasuke’s temple is pressed against Naruto’s collarbone, hair flattened by the blonde’s chin. Their legs had wound together during the night, much like the position Naruto had awoken in. He blinks, swallowing hard.

He switches the power button, the screen turning black.

When he looks up, both Kakashi and Iruka are watching him. 

‘Keeping it, yeah?’ Iruka asks with a knowing smile. 

‘Shut up,’ Naruto huffs.

‘Idiots,’ Kakashi mutters again.

Naruto stretches to place the camera on his desk, right on top of Sasuke’s library book. He almost knocks over the empty bottle of wine, fingers curling around the neck to steady it.

‘You had fun,’ Kakashi drawls lazily.

Naruto shrugs, ‘it was his birthday.’

Iruka turns to yank the bedroom door open, ‘I’m going to make breakfast.’ Kakashi grunts an agreement, sauntering past him and out of the door. Iruka pauses, smiling at Naruto, ‘he’s stunning, by the way.’ And then he’s being pulled by the collar of his shirt, forced out of the room. Naruto listens until their bickering fades downstairs.

He eyes the closed door, ears straining to hear Sasuke brushing his teeth. His index presses against his lips and he thinks back to their _almost_-kiss. His hand falls down to his side, limp.

_Sasuke was drunk_.

That’s the only reason why they’d almost kissed. Why Sasuke had hugged him in his sleep. He doesn’t like Naruto. He doesn’t even regard Naruto as a real friend.

_Then why did he tell Iruka to keep the photograph?_

Naruto frowns.

_It’s all a pretence._

His fists curl in his lap and he swallows down the hurt.

Then he hears the toilet flushing and he straightens up, hoping that his expression is at least a neutral one. The bedroom door opens only a minute later and Naruto looks up to watch Sasuke walk in. The Uchiha’s expression is still blank, but his face looks a little clearer and he looks more awake. He must have washed his face, Naruto wonders, watching Sasuke halt by the door, hand curled around the handle.

‘Can I…’ Sasuke trails off, eyebrows pinching together a little. He clears his throat, ‘can I borrow some clothes?’

Naruto nods, frowning himself. He’d almost expected Sasuke to come back in and demand he deletes the photo. But even though he sees Sasuke’s eyes flicker to the camera sat on the desk, the raven-head doesn’t say anything about it.

Naruto licks his bottom lip, not noticing how dark eyes carefully watch the movement. He stands from the bed, stretching his arms high above his head until his shoulder pops, a satisfied groan escaping him. Ruffling his hair with his right hand, he reaches for the wardrobe handle with his left, pulling the door open. He shifts through the clothes until he finds a pair of old black jogging bottoms that he no longer wears. He finds a black t-shirt and clumsily thrusts the clothes into Sasuke’s hands.

‘You need boxers?’ 

Sasuke stares back at him.

A blonde brow raises, a lazy grin tasing his lips, ‘they’re clean, promise.’

Sasuke’s eyes avoid his as he slowly nods, voice quiet, ‘please.’ 

Naruto hands him a pair of plain black like the rest of the clothing. They’re nothing special, yet both Naruto’s and Sasuke’s eyes bore into the fabric.

Naruto clears his throat to break the tense moment of silence, ‘’kay, Imma go shower. You can wait here or-’

‘I’ll wait.’

Naruto nods, turning to grab his own clothes, kicking the wardrobe door shut with his foot.

With one last look shared between them, Naruto swiftly exits the room, almost tripping over his own feet as he stumbles into the bathroom. The scent of breakfast has begun to waft up the stairs and it makes Naruto’s stomach growl loudly just as he’s locking the door shut behind him. He leans against the door, eyes closing as his clothes fall to the ground in a haphazard mess at his feet.

_Sasuke is wearing his boxers. Fuck._

Naruto feels his stomach fluttering for what feels like the thousandth time this morning. It takes a few deep breaths but he manages to gather his resolve, eyes peeling open. He drags his fingers through his hair, grunting in pain when they catch on a knot.

When he drags himself to the shower, he spends a lot of time under the water, barely aware of his hands rubbing shampoo into his hair. His thoughts consume him until he feels the water running cold and he curses loudly, flinching out from under the spray.

When he enters his bedroom again, towel hanging around his neck, he’s surprised to see that the bed has been made, two neat piles of clothes folded at the foot of the mattress. Sasuke sits at the desk, flicking through his library book. When he notices Naruto, he tilts his head to the side, ‘you took a long time.’

Naruto glances at the ground, eyes widening when he realises Sasuke has also made little piles of clothes, stacked neatly against the wall. ‘You cleaned my room,’ he breathes, eyebrows raised.

‘I didn’t know where you liked your clothes, so I left them there,’ Sasuke comments, book snapping closed. ‘I hope you don’t mind.’

‘No, no,’ Naruto tugs the towel from his neck, bringing it up to scrub at his still damp hair. ‘’S probably the cleanest it’s been in months… Thanks, Sasuke,’ he smiles, hoping his appreciation shows.

Sasuke’s eyes linger on his for a moment too long. And then he’s turning away, nodding to acknowledge Naruto’s thanks. He places the book back on the desk, standing. 

He’s clad in the clothes that Naruto gave to him, and to the blonde’s horror, they fit the Uchiha _perfectly_. It doesn’t help the butterflies in his stomach and he has to turn away to hide the smile that threatens to appear. He busies himself with drying his hair the best that he can, before clumsily folding it over his radiator.

He hears Sasuke tut under his breath, and then Sasuke’s chest is pressed against his back, the Uchiha leaning against him to snatch the towel from his hands. Naruto struggles to hide the hitching of his own breath.

‘Utterly useless,’ Sasuke mutters as he moves back, Naruto turning to watch him refold the damp fabric before arranging it on the radiator, in a much neater fashion. And then Sasuke is stepping towards the door, pulling it open and holding it out to the blonde. ‘Your dad called for breakfast ten minutes ago.’

Naruto peers at him, eyes flickering over Sasuke’s tall frame once, twice, before forcing his feet to move.

He exits the room, Sasuke hot on his heels, and acts as if his heart isn’t hammering in his chest.

๑

To Naruto’s surprise, Sasuke ends up staying for the remainder of the day.

After breakfast, Naruto had spent most of the morning playing video games on his computer as Sasuke had busied himself with studying the library book in great detail. It had piqued Naruto’s interest, but after recalling the book he’d snooped at in the library just the day before, he’s afraid to ask what this one is about. Iruka cooked dinner in the early evening, and afterwards, the four of them had settled in the living room to waste time watching films.

Naruto had dosed off over an hour ago, and whilst Kakashi said nothing, he had willingly passed Sasuke a pencil and some paper when the raven-head had shyly asked for some. The silver haired man pretended to not notice the Uchiha slyly eyeing Naruto’s sleeping form as he sketched, hiding his knowing smile in Iruka’s hair.

Sasuke sketches quietly. He’s vaguely aware that Iruka has also passed out, Kakashi’s gaze fixated onto the television screen. Outside, the sky is beginning to darken, the room dimly lit as the curtains are pulled close. It makes it a little harder to see as he draws, but Sasuke admires the shadows that are cast along Naruto’s jawline and over his brow. He pauses, pencil stilling as he allows himself to stare.

Itachi had been right.

Naruto _is_ good looking.

Handsome, even.

Hell, Sasuke would even go as far as to call Naruto _beautiful_. Not that he’d ever say it out loud.

Sasuke grips his pencil a little tighter.

He carries on drawing until he realises that Kakashi has now fallen asleep. He pauses once again, taking the chance to look at the trio. Iruka has fallen asleep, his back pressed against Kakashi’s chest, the silver haired man’s arms wrapped loosely around his waist. They seem comfortable, and Sasuke briefly allows himself to wonder what the embrace feels like. His eyes dart to Naruto again.

He wonders what it’d feel like to have _Naruto_ embrace him like that.

His fingertips whiten, the paper slipping from his grasp. It’s only the sound of the paper fluttering to the ground that makes him loosen his hold on the pencil, and he inhales deeply. He manages to tear his gaze away from the sleeping blonde to quietly pick up his drawings. He glances at the sketches and he allows the tiniest of smiles to grace his lips. A short while later, he checks the time. It’s almost nine in the evening.

He hesitates.

He watches the rise and fall of Naruto’s slumber for a few more minutes, before he reluctantly forces himself from his seat. He quietly exits the room, making his way back up the stairs to retrieve his clothes and book from Naruto’s bedroom. Once he has them piled in his hands, he glances around the room one last time before making his way back to the living room. Making sure that Iruka and Kakashi are still asleep, Sasuke silently kneels before the armchair, gazing at Naruto’s face once more. Up close, he can see the light freckles on tanned skin, his attention focusing on the fullness of Naruto’s lips. Sasuke swallows. At this distance, he can smell the blonde, his scent enhanced by the clothes Sasuke wears. He shivers.

‘Thank you,’ he murmurs softly, ‘Naruto.’

He hesitates again. And then before he can overthink his actions, he’s kissing his fingertips, daring to reach forward and gently brushing them across the blonde’s forehead.

He leaves as quietly as he can, the front door closing with a quiet click.

When he arrives home, Itachi greets him at the door.

‘Where have you been?’ 

Sasuke locks the door shut behind him, turning to look at his brother as he kicks his shoes off.

‘Naruto’s.’

Itachi’s eyes trail up and down his body, ‘and your clothes too, I presume?’

‘Hm,’ Sasuke eyes him, eyebrow quirking. ‘Any reason why you were waiting for me to come home?’

He makes to step towards the staircase, but Itachi stops him by holding out an envelope. ‘It arrived earlier today.’

Sasuke glares at the paper. He doesn’t have to open it to know who it’s from. He takes it from his brother’s hand. ‘I wrote to them last week.’

Itachi’s eyebrows rise now, ‘so you accepted?’

Sasuke’s head tilts into a slow nod.

Itachi is smiling now, his expression as graceful as ever, ‘I’m pleased for you, Sasuke. Truly.’ 

‘Thanks.’

Sasuke knows that Itachi is just as curious about the contents of the letter - if not more - than he is. So he passes his pile of clothes, and the book, to his brother. Itachi accepts, not bothering to question as to why Sasuke is wearing Naruto’s clothes. He watches as Sasuke glances at the logo - a leaf encircled in the name _Illustrateurs de Konoha_ \- and uses his thumbnail to tear open the letter. 

Sasuke reads the letter in record timing.

‘They want me to put forward ideas for an exhibition by next week.’

Itachi’s eyes flicker from the letter to his brother’s face, ‘do you have any prepared?’

‘Of course,’ Sasuke almost sounds offended at the insinuation that he’d be anything less than prepared.

The corner of Itachi’s mouth twitches.

Sasuke rereads the letter quickly before turning back towards the stairs. He leads the way up to his bedroom, Itachi close behind him. Placing Sasuke’s belongings on the bed, Itachi watches his kid brother sit at his desk, slumping heavily. Itachi leans against the wall, arms crossing over his chest.

‘Did you enjoy yourself?’ 

Sasuke looks at him from over his shoulder, ‘what?’

‘Naruto’s house,’ Itachi says, looking at him pointedly.

‘Oh,’ Sasuke comments. He looks away, but Itachi doesn’t miss the way his ears have tinged with red. ‘Yeah,’ Sasuke answers, scratching at a spot on his hand, ‘I did.’

Itachi nods, seemingly satisfied with his brother’s answer. ‘Mother and Father will be returning home soon,’ he pushes his weight from the wall, already turning to pull the bedroom door open. He pauses, looking over his shoulder. Sasuke meets his gaze, dark eyed. Itachi smiles at him, his mouth stretching into an impressive beam. Sasuke blinks; it’s a rare sighting. ‘I’m proud of you, Sasuke.’

And then Itachi is gone, the dull thud of the door closing announcing his departure. He misses the stuttered breath bursting past Sasuke’s lips, dark eyes watery as he gapes at the door, long after Itachi’s footsteps have disappeared down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	13. [g is for gaara]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- this chapter goes into more detail about naruto's past, so i'm going to include a trigger warning for mentions of self harm, eating disorder/s and hospitalisation. if these themes trigger you, please do not read this chapter.  


Weeks pass by and soon, it is Autumn.

Naruto has spent almost every free moment stopping by Sasuke’s house, the raven-head all the more willing to allow the blonde to laze around in his room as he works on his project. Much to Naruto’s frustration, the young Uchiha has refused to let Naruto in on his plans for his exhibition - something Sasuke had reluctantly told him about after Itachi had _accidentally _mentioned it during dinner a couple of weeks ago. And no matter how many times the blonde begged, Sasuke insisted that he kept it a secret until the exhibition date was officially released. And the more time they spent together, the easier it was for Naruto to forget about their agreement at all.

Shifts at the shop are becoming busier, too. As the skies darken quicker, the stream of halloween celebrators seems endless and it is no shock to Naruto when Asuma starts asking him to come in to work on his days off.

And today is one of them.

It’s Friday afternoon, and yet the sun has already started to set.

Naruto, despite his boredom, is kept busy as he repeatedly checks out packages, one after the other. He’s lost count of how many customers he’s served, and when the last one leaves, he’s unable to stifle his loud sigh of relief.

Sai spares him a glance, kicking a box into the storage cupboard with the back of his foot. He ignores Neji’s chide, silver eyes narrowing with annoyance. It appears that the busier days are taking their toll on everyone - even Asuma’s patience seems to be wearing thin today. Naruto leans heavily against the counter, blue eyes sliding over to the clock.

Just another hour until freedom.

He exhales, praying for the time to fly by.

‘Christmas is going to be hell this year,’ Neji comments, brows pulling together. ‘I can already feel it.’

‘Hm,’ Naruto hums, not really paying attention. The shop is empty now, and now that he’s no longer running around after customers, his exhaustion is starting to catch up. He yawns widely, rubbing his eyes.

‘Ya better not fall asleep,’ Asuma scolds, suddenly appearing right beside him. ‘Ya boyfriend is s’posed to be comin’ in today.’

‘Not my boyfriend,’ Naruto replies lazily, not even bothering to look up as Asuma drops a large package onto the desk.

‘Not yet,’ someone comments, Sai or Neji, Naruto can’t be bothered to guess whom.

He sighs again, loud and dramatic, ‘I can’t wait to go to bed already.’

Neji raises an eyebrow, ‘aren’t you coming to Kiba’s tonight?’

Naruto frowns, ‘I thought that was next week?’

Sai snorts for a reason that he doesn’t bother sharing. Neji shrugs in reply to Naruto’s question.

‘Swear that kid throws a party every week,’ Asuma complains. ‘I never get any sleep at the weekends.’

The trio know that he’s exaggerating.

‘S’still weird that you live next door to ‘im,’ Naruto’s words slurs with tiredness, his eyes heavily lidded as he picks at a chip in the wooden counter-top. He’s barely listening as his friends engage in conversation with Asuma, the three of them taking advantage of the lack of customers. Naruto props an elbow up on the counter, chin leaning heavily on the open palm of his hand. His eyes droop close, but before he can begin to doze off, the sound of the bell jingling announces the arrival of another customer.

A sharp elbow digs into his ribs and Naruto’s eyes snap open, a grunt of pain escaping him. His eyes narrow at his boss, who pretends to not see, whistling his way back towards his office.

‘Asshole,’ Naruto scoffs, rubbing the sore spot in his ribs with his fingers. His eyebrows pinch together and when he looks up, he sees Sasuke waiting on the other side of the desk, looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment. ‘O-Oh, hey, Sasuke!’ He grimaces at his stutter, but if the raven-head notices, he doesn’t comment on it.

Somewhere behind the Uchiha, either Neji or Sai mimics Naruto, purposely exaggerating his stutter. Unable to see whom, due to the shelves obscuring his view, Naruto curses, grabbing a pen from the draw and throwing it as hard as he can. It manages to hit its target, Naruto grinning when he hears the muted grunt of pain that follows.

‘I’m surprised that landed a hit,’ Sasuke says, dark brow raised, seemingly impressed.

Naruto laughs, ‘I was good at basketball when I was a kid.’

Sasuke nods, ‘I’d like to see you play one day.’

Naruto peers at him, shocked, ‘really?’ Sasuke doesn’t look as if he’s joking, eyeing the blonde with a serious expression. ‘I-I mean, I’m better at football, to be honest. Or runnin’… I’ve not played basketball in years.’

Sasuke makes a noise at the back of his throat, ‘either way.’ He then pushes a box across the counter, only retracting his hands when Naruto’s hands curl around the corners. Sasuke meets his gaze, ‘I’d still like to see you play one day.’ Naruto nods mutely, unsure of how to react. He definitely wasn’t expecting Sasuke to be interested in his sports at all. It’s a surprise - a pleasant one, he thinks.

Biting his bottom lip to stop himself from grinning, he points down at the box, ‘what’s this?’

Now Sasuke looks sheepish, embarrassed, even.

He avoids Naruto’s gaze, the blonde noticing the reddening of the tips of pale ears. Sasuke clears his throat before speaking, ‘you’ve been asking to see my work…’

Naruto’s expression immediately brightens, ‘is this-?’

‘It’s not my project,’ Sasuke is quick to tell him. He sees Naruto’s disappointment and he taps the top of the box with the tip of his index finger. ‘I drew you something else.’

‘Oh?’ Naruto’s expression is now one of awe as he stares down at the box as if he can see through the cardboard. ‘What is it?’

Sasuke glares, ‘well I’m not going to ruin the surprise, am I?’ He huffs, ‘just open it when you get home.’

‘Okay,’ Naruto breathes, index finger tracing Sasuke’s handwriting. The raven-head had clearly scribbled Naruto’s name in a rush, but even so, his handwriting is much neater than the blonde’s. ‘Thanks, ‘Ske.’ He then stifles another yawn with the back of his hand, eyes watering as they flicker towards the clock again.

‘Tired?’ Sasuke asks, expression neutral.

‘Ah,’ Naruto huffs a tired laugh. ‘Yeah… Today’s been shit.’

‘Busy?’

‘Extremely so,’ Sai interrupts, passing by, carrying a large box towards the storage room. Sasuke blinks after him, but doesn’t reply. But just as Naruto sees the raven-head’s lips part, he’s cut off by the sound of the bell jingling again. A pair of dark eyes, mimicked by a widened pair of blue ones, slide over to the door.

‘Yo, ‘Ruto,’ Kiba grins toothily. Behind him, Shikamaru and girlfriend Temari enter the shop, the door swinging shut behind him. But as soon as Kiba’s eyes slide over to Sasuke, his expression sobers and his eyes harden. Even Naruto is taken aback by the sudden shift in demeanour. ‘’Ruto,’ Kiba calls to his friend, tilting his head back, ‘we need to-’

‘Hi Naruto,’ Temari interrupts, greeting the blonde.

Naruto smiles, returning her greeting, but Sasuke immediately senses that something’s wrong. The smile doesn’t reach Naruto’s eyes and as if Temari can also sense the tension, she shifts slightly closer to Shikamaru.

Sasuke watches Naruto’s grip tighten around the box, knuckles white with strain. He watches the way Naruto’s throat bob as he swallows, his face appearing a little paler.

‘Is-?’

‘Naruto,’ Kiba says his name properly this time, and it almost sounds foreign, even to Sasuke’s ears. ‘I need to talk to you.’ When Naruto’s eyes flicker from the serious expression on Shikamaru’s face, the bitterness on Kiba’s and the guilt on Temari’s, Sasuke knows that something is _very _wrong. ‘Now,’ Kiba urges, eyes narrowed.

‘But I don’t finish for another-’

‘We’ll watch over your spot,’ Neji offers, Sai silent beside him.

The room suddenly feels suffocating and Sasuke doesn’t think he wants to stay there any longer, despite his previous plans to wait for Naruto to finish his shift. But the mixed expression of pain and fear on Naruto’s face keeps him rooted to his spot by the counter.

‘’Ruto,’ Kiba’s voice holds a tint of desperation now. Sasuke doesn’t miss the way his eyes slide over to Temari, who is now desperately texting on her mobile, Shikamaru reading over her shoulder with a look of frustration.

Naruto glances at Sasuke as he follows Kiba out of the shop, leaving Sasuke’s gift on the counter.

Once outside, Naruto halts, forcing Kiba to do the same.

‘He’s here, ain’t he?’

The furious look in Kiba’s eye is enough of an answer.

Naruto nods his head, chewing the inside of his cheek. He stuffs his hands into the front pocket of his jeans, breath uneven as he exhales. ‘It’s okay, Kiba-’

‘Fuck you,’ Kiba hisses, suddenly leaning closer. Naruto doesn’t even flinch. ‘When the hell are you going to stop pretending, ‘Ruto?’

Naruto’s expression falls and at the sight, Kiba’s does the same.

‘I’m sorry,’ he immediately apologises. He runs a hand through his already messy hair, ‘I just… I fuckin’ care about you. You’re my best friend, ya know?’ Naruto nods, but he’s not listening, not properly. ‘I… I just don’t want you back in… in that _place_ again.’ A frown is forming between the brunette’s brows, ‘he _ruined _you… I can’t watch it happen again, I can’t, Naruto.’

Naruto rapidly blinks away the tears that threaten to fall. He knows that Kiba is right. He’s almost over the past, he convinces himself, but it still hurts to think about. And now that his past has appeared right in this very town, Naruto can feel built up regret settling in the pit of his stomach. He sucks in a deep breath, desperately trying to ease the pain in his chest, ‘have you seen-?’

But he doesn’t get to finish his question.

Because right behind Kiba, appears the one man that Naruto dreads.

He spots the flash of red hair, even in the dark, before he sees the large tattoo on the red-head’s forehead. He feels his face pale and when Kiba notices, he’s quick to whirl around, his hatred plastered all over his face.

Gaara quietly regards the two of them for a long moment.

Naruto’s fists clench and before he can stop it from falling, a lone tear escapes the corner of his eye and rolls down the curve of his cheek. He takes a step backwards.

‘Uzumaki Naruto.’

His name is breathed out into the dark and Naruto feels bile soaring to the back of his throat.

Kiba stands in front of him, blocking Gaara’s view.

‘What do you want, bitch?’

Green orbs languidly slip over Kiba’s towering form. Although the shorter of the two, Gaara shows no signs of intimidation and he chuckles under his breath. The noise is empty, without meaning, and it rings down Naruto’s eardrums. He winces, head ducking.

‘How ironic,’ Gaara drawls, ‘coming from you.’

He regards Kiba as if the brunette is nothing more than dirt under his shoe. Kiba’s gritting of teeth is audible to the naked ear and Naruto winces a second time. He manages to clasp onto Kiba’s elbow just in time to stop him from stepping forward.

‘Do me a kind favour,’ Gaara’s gaze is heavily lidded as his eyes catch a glimpse of Naruto. He looks back to Kiba, who seethes back at him, ‘be a good boy and step aside.’

‘Get fucked,’ Kiba snaps. He rips his arm from Naruto’s grasp. ‘I’m not _that _fuckin’ dumb.’

Gaara’s eyes are unmoving, ‘Naruto-’

Kiba takes a threatening step closer, ‘don’t fuckin’ say his name, you slimy little c-’

‘Kiba,’ Naruto’s voice comes out much quieter than anyone expects. ‘It’s okay.’

Kiba whirls around to face him, ‘_please_, ‘Ruto,’ his tone is exasperated. ‘Don’t fuckin’ go to him.’

Naruto scoffs, ‘not funny.’

‘I’m not fuckin’ kiddin’.’

Naruto forces a smile to his lips, hoping it comes across as reassuring. ‘It’s okay,’ he repeats, his voice a little sterner. He presses his palm flat against Kiba’s waist, shoving his friend to the side. Kiba stumbles aside, lips parted in a protest. But the sound of the shop door opening cuts him off. Naruto doesn’t have to turn around to know that they now have an audience.

‘Gaara,’ comes Temari’s exclaim. ‘I told you to-’

‘It’s fine,’ Naruto repeats again, his voice louder. His eyes are glued to the red-head before him. Gaara hasn’t even looked up at the sound of his sister’s voice, sea-green eyes focused on the fair-haired man in front of him. Naruto stands up a little straighter, swallowing down the bile that’s raised to the back of his throat. ‘What do you want?’

Beside him, it is Kiba who now scoffs, ‘we all know what he-’

‘Naruto.’

The blonde immediately turns at the sound of Sasuke’s voice, much to Gaara’s annoyance. Naruto stares at the guarded expression on the Uchiha’s face, hating how he can’t read the look in his eyes. The raven-head isn’t even acknowledging Gaara’s presence, his eyes fixated to his friend. Behind him, Neji and the others have formed a small crowd, each wearing an expression of disapproval, aimed towards the red-head. Asuma is nowhere in sight, and for the time being, Naruto decides it’s for the best.

There’s a billow of wind, the force strong enough to blow Sasuke’s fringe back from his face, nose tainted pink. He’s not blinked yet, and his silence is unnerving. Naruto looks crestfallen, his hand reaching out.

‘Sas-’ he starts to say, only to be interrupted.

‘You moved on quickly.’

Naruto turns around so fast that he almost trips over his own feet. ‘It’s been _two years_!’ Tears burn into his cheeks, but he ignores them, glaring at Gaara as furiously as he can muster. ‘What do you fuckin’ want from me!?’ He feels someone touch his wrist, thumb stroking against his skin. He doesn’t have to look to know who it is.

Gaara’s eyes narrow.

‘I almost forgot how pathetic you were.’

Naruto sucks in a breath, holding his hand out to stop Kiba from lunging. He chokes out a laugh, humourless and cold, licking his bottom lip as he shakes his head. The tears have stopped now. And as he looks at the way Gaara regards him, emotionless, he wonders why he ever fell in love with him.

‘I can’t believe I loved you,’ he whispers. But Gaara hears him, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards.

He nods towards Sasuke, ‘and yet you love him now.’

Naruto’s fists curl, and his voice hardens, ‘so what?’ He doesn’t notice Sasuke flinching, dark eyes boring into the side of his face. But he does see Kiba gaping at him, and only guesses that Shikamaru and Neji wear similar looks of surprise. Naruto takes a step towards Gaara, ‘so fuckin’ what?’

The red-head’s smile only broadens, ‘he’s a little much, don’t you think?’

His words aren’t aimed at the blonde before him. Without even looking at him, Gaara addresses Sasuke with a tone of indifference. Even Temari doesn’t know what to say, fingers grasping tightly around Shikamaru’s.

Sasuke doesn’t reply. But the darkening of his gaze is telling enough.

Gaara spares the Uchiha a glance.

‘Did he tell you?’

He inches a little closer and before the blonde can stop himself, he’s reaching for Gaara, hand curling around his forearm. ‘Don’t,’ he all but begs.

Gaara doesn’t budge, allowing Naruto’s fingers to pull at his arm. His gaze glued to Sasuke, he asks again, ‘did he tell you?’

Sasuke’s entire form is now rigid.

Gaara hums, ‘he didn’t.’ His head tilts towards to Naruto and then he’s grasping the hem of Naruto’s t-shirt, shoving it so far up his chest that his nipples are exposed. Sasuke’s eyes bore in the scars that litter Naruto’s back, the silver-like skin glowering in the streetlamp. Someone curses loudly and the blonde fights against Gaara, but for a short man, Gaara’s grasp is surprisingly strong. It’s only when Kiba forcibly yanks Naruto backwards so that the two part, the blonde now shaking.

‘You’re fuckin’ sick!’ Kiba bellows, pushing Naruto into Neji’s grasp. He makes a move towards Gaara, but Sasuke beats him to it.

The sickening crack of Gaara’s nose breaking is loud enough to coax a sharp cry of surprise from Temari.

Naruto almost falls over at the sound, turning just in time to see Sasuke’s fist retracting again before hurtling towards Gaara’s face a second time. The second punch is wet and bloodied and Gaara spits the liquid from between his teeth, leering up at Sasuke as the Uchiha straddles his waist.

‘So the pretty boy can pack a punch,’ he bites out a laugh, eyes flickering to glare into Naruto’s, ‘a perfect match.’ His sister gapes at him, horrified. Sasuke aims a third punch, but his fist doesn’t meet its target. A large hand comes down and yanks him by the collar of his shirt. Scrambling, Sasuke is pulled to his feet by Asuma, who stares down at Gaara, hard.

‘You’re lucky it was him and not me,’ the larger man warns gruffly, kicking at Gaara’s feet. ‘Get the fuck outta my sight.’

Gaara wavers as he straightens up. Temari hesitates before taking a step towards him, her expression one of conflict. Shikamaru is reluctant to let her leave his side, watching with narrowed as she helps Gaara to his feet.

‘You’re a fucking idiot,’ she spits at him, but holds him close. Gaara wipes blood from his mouth, the back of his hand now scarlet. Watery eyed, Temari looks to Naruto, ‘I’m so sorry, Naruto. I tried to stop-’

‘It’s okay,’ the blonde forces a smile, unshed tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. ‘It’s fine.’

It’s not fine. Far from it. But it’s taking all of his self-resolve to not break down in front of his friends - in front of Gaara - and so he grits his teeth, purposely avoiding Sasuke’s heavy gaze as he nods to Temari.

‘He needs cleanin’ up.’

Temari takes this as her cue to leave, whispering one more apology before she turns away, dragging her brother - who appears to have learnt to keep his mouth closed this time - behind her. Shikamaru saunters after them, pausing to ensure that Naruto isn’t harmed.

‘'S fine, Shika,’ Naruto waves him off. ‘Go look after her.’

Shikamaru looks as if he doesn’t want to leave, ‘I’ll call you later, ‘kay?’ Naruto nods, but he already knows that he won’t be answering his friend’s call. As if he knows this too, Shikamaru nods back, meeting Kiba’s hardened gaze before he is sauntering after his girlfriend.

‘C’mon,’ Kiba slaps a heavy hand on Naruto’s shoulder. ‘I’m takin’ you home.’

Naruto doesn’t protest. He barely manages to remember to apologise to Asuma, the older man looking at him with a look of disbelief.

‘Don’t come to work tomorrow,’ he tells the blonde. When he sees Naruto beginning to protest, he smiles, ‘I’ll still pay you. Just take the day off, kid.’ When Naruto nods, Asuma looks at Neji, ‘if he comes in, send him home.’

Neji mutters a reply, one that Naruto doesn’t hear as he’s already walking away, Kiba hot on his heels. The brunette halts, pointing a finger at Sasuke, ‘oi, Rocky! You comin’ or what?’

Sasuke quietly bids Neji and Sai a goodbye, nodding his head at Asuma, before stalking after Kiba and Naruto.

His knuckles have split from the force of which they collided with Gaara’s face. He recalls the pained expression on Naruto’s face as Gaara revealed his scars and Sasuke swallows down the rage that bubbles in the centre of his chest. The red-head’s blood stains his hand and Sasuke feels his nose crinkling into a sneer. He should have hit him harder.

No one speaks as they trek to Naruto’s home.

Sasuke isn’t even sure if Naruto wants him there, but the blonde hadn’t said anything when Kiba had invited him along. As they walk, Sasuke’s eyes bore into Naruto’s back, where the fabric of his t-shirt now hides his scarring. Sasuke knows that they’re self-inflicted and he can’t begin to imagine the pain Naruto must have left. He chews on the inside of his cheek as he tears his gaze away, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill.

When they reach Naruto’s house, the blonde announces that he’s left his keys at the shop.

Kiba presses the doorbell, and it takes just seconds for Iruka to answer the door.

He greets them with a wide smile, chuckling, ‘Naruto, did you forget your-?’ He pauses when he sees the grim expression on Kiba’s face. ‘What…?’ Then he sees Naruto’s tear-stained cheeks, and the blood that’s seeping from Sasuke’s knuckles, and his smile disappears instantly, ‘what happened?’

Kiba steps aside to let Naruto pass by, waiting until the blonde has walked into the hallway. He glances at Sasuke, ‘I’m only droppin’ him off. Rocky can explain.’ He smiles bitterly, bidding Iruka a goodbye and taking off before the older man can protest. Kiba leaves quickly and Sasuke guesses that he’s leaving to let off some steam, as he doesn’t even wait to say goodbye to Naruto.

‘Do you want to come in?’

Sasuke looks up at Iruka.

The older man seems to have some idea of what happened, the corners of his mouth now turned downwards. But there’s a questioning in his eyes that informs Sasuke that he has some explaining to do. But he hesitates. Because once again, he doesn’t know if Naruto wants him there. And as if Iruka can read his thoughts, he holds the door open wider. ‘I don’t know what’s happened… but he’d probably feel better with you here.’

And that’s all it takes for Sasuke to step over the threshold, pausing to take his shoes off at the door.

Iruka invites him to the living room, and when Sasuke walks in, his stomach sinks. Naruto has curled into Kakashi’s side, the silver-haired man hugging him tightly. Naruto doesn’t make a sound, but Sasuke can see the way his shoulders shake, the blonde’s head buried under Kakashi’s chin. Dark eyes meet Sasuke’s and he reluctantly takes a seat in the armchair.

Iruka sits on Naruto’s other side, and with glossy eyes, Sasuke watches as he rubs Naruto’s back soothingly. He feels as if he’s intruding, but he also doesn’t want to leave. Conflicted, he watches silently, waiting for someone to break the silence.

It is Kakashi who does, ‘what the fuck happened?’

Sasuke tenses, fists clenching. He barely feels the sting as the congealed blood cracks on his skin. He inhales once, twice, thrice, and then he stares at the side of Naruto’s temple.

‘His… uh….’ He trails off, unsure of how to address Gaara. _Ex-boyfriend _is the best way to describe him, as Sasuke has at least managed to put two and two together. And so he says the words, face screwing into a look of fury as he hears Naruto stifle a cry into Kakashi’s shoulder.

He slowly begins to recount the events, and halfway through, he has to pause to clasp his hands between his thighs to stop them from shaking. Naruto’s cries have faded into hiccups by the time he finishes explaining. Kakashi doesn’t say a word, but Sasuke sees the tightening of his arm around Naruto’s shoulders. Iruka, however, looks as if he’s going to be sick.

‘I _hate_ him.’

And then he’s crying, furiously wiping at the tears with the back of his hands. Naruto shifts, pulling out of Kakashi’s embrace to stare down at his lap. His face lacks its usual tan and his eyes are now swollen, the whites slightly reddened. Sasuke’s hand forms a fist. He definitely should have hit the prick harder than he had.

‘You hit him,’ Kakashi declares, noticing the blood caked on Sasuke’s hand.

The raven-head knows that Naruto is now staring at him, as well as a teary-eyed Iruka. He nods silently.

‘He… he shouldn’t… I-I couldn’t let him…’ he trails off, hating how his voice wobbles. He forces himself to swallow, eyes boring down at his hand.

They fall into silence, and no one dares to speak again. Iruka looks off to the side, seemingly forcing himself to not cry. Kakashi hides his anger behind a thick wall, Sasuke realises, the silver-haired man barely blinking as his gaze darts around the room. After a while, Naruto abruptly stands.

‘’M goin’ bed.’

‘But-’ Iruka protests. His voice shakes and he stands too, reaching for his son, hands trembling.

‘Please, Dad,’ Naruto begs quietly, stepping out of Iruka’s reach. ‘I’m tired.’

‘Let him go,’ Kakashi murmurs to his husband, standing to curl a hand around Iruka’s outstretched wrist. ‘Let him go to bed,’ he coaxes, his voice softer than his expression. Reluctantly, Iruka’s hands fall to his sides, defeated. With wide eyes, he watches Naruto exit the room quietly and Sasuke hesitates. Kakashi tugs Iruka towards him, wrapping his arms around his husband’s shoulders. Sasuke looks away, feeling as if he’s intruding. ‘Go after him,’ Kakashi mutters. Sasuke meets his gaze. Kakashi tilts his head towards the door, encouraging, ‘go.’

Sasuke nods once and before he can hesitate any longer, he’s already up on his feet and leaving the room, taking the stairs two at a time. However, when he reaches the top of the stairs, Naruto’s voice calls out to him from the bathroom.

‘In here.’

Sasuke follows, pushing the door open to reveal Naruto sat on the toilet seat. He’s reaching to fill the sink with warm water, a half empty packet of cotton wool on his lap.

‘Close the door, ‘Ske.’

Sasuke complies, his own hands shaking as he turns the lock. Then he changes his mind and unlocks it again before turning to face the blonde. Naruto hasn’t looked at him yet, but he’s now standing, coaxing Sasuke closer with a bending of his index finger. Quietly, Sasuke stands beside him.

‘Gimme your hand,’ Naruto orders, his voice sounding a lot stronger than it had a short while ago. Sasuke is glad. He does as Naruto asks, holding out his injured hand. Naruto’s fingers are gentle on his skin, slowly guiding his hand under the warm water.

It stings. A lot. And Sasuke has to press his lips together to stop himself from making a sound.

Naruto uses the cotton wool to begin cleaning the blood and Sasuke watches, awed as the water mixes into a pale red colour.

‘I was seventeen when I met G-’ Naruto stumbles at the name, his grip tightening around Sasuke’s hand. He clears his throat, correcting himself, ‘when I met him.’ He continues to clean Sasuke’s hand as he speaks. ‘We knew each other at this football game I had - I was playin’ against his older brother’s team…’ he inhales a shaky breath.

‘You don’t have to-’

‘Yes I do,’ Naruto snaps without meaning to. ‘You… you fuckin’ _punched _him, Sasuke.’ His voice is hot and angry, but Sasuke knows it’s not aimed towards him. Naruto swallows before continuing, ‘we beat his brother’s team and they demanded a rematch… a friendly down at the park, and… well, he came along.’ He pauses again, grabbing a fresh cotton pad. He dunks it into the water, swiping it across Sasuke’s knuckles as gently as he can. ‘Anyways… we got talkin’ ‘n’ he tells me that his family were super wealthy ‘n’ all this braggin’ ‘n’ shit.’ He frowns, ‘tells me that his cousin was gettin’ married in a few weeks ‘n’ that he needed a date to pretend he had a boyfriend ‘cause they kept houndin’ or summin’.’

He scrubs at the dried skin on Sasuke’s hand. Sasuke pretends it doesn’t hurt.

‘So I went with him. ‘Cause I was a fuckin’ moron. Like… when would I ever get the chance to have a hot rich guy fancy me again, ya know?’

Sasuke snorts at this and Naruto’s grip tightens a little.

‘So I go with him,’ Naruto says again. ‘The whole family is there - Shika was there too ‘cause he’s been datin’ ‘Mari since forever - way over the top ‘cause they’re rich folk… so we basically pretend that we’re datin’ so his family back off, ya know?’ Sasuke hums, eyes glazed as he pictures the scene. ‘‘N’ ‘cause I’m a fuckin’ idiot, I start fallin’ for him, ya know? Like, proper… I thought I was in love with ‘im.’ He sniffles and Sasuke has to look at his face to make sure he’s not crying again. He’s not. ‘I went along with everythin’ he told me to… he was the first guy I’d ever _dated_, I guess, ‘n’ I don’t know if you can even call it that... I thought he was _it_, ya know?’

Sasuke looks at him, stomach twisting. He has to look away again.

‘We were together for two years…? ‘Round that, yeah,’ Naruto says more to himself, as if he’s forgotten. ‘I thought he’d actually fallen for me too,’ he scoffs at this, scrubbing at Sasuke’s hand a little harder. Sasuke grits his teeth but doesn’t complain. ‘Then his parents start goin’ on ‘bout marriage ’n’ I know we were young… but I thought he loved me too.’ He sniffles again. ‘But his dad says he can’t have a gay son… that he’d had his fun and that it was time to _grow up_. Like, who the fuck says that to their kid?’ He shakes his head, grimacing. ‘They ended up setting ‘im up with some rich chick they’d known for years - I don’t even fuckin’ know her name - and he drops me. Just like that. Agrees to marry her and that’s it, I was nothin’ to ‘im.’

Naruto’s bottom lip wobbles and Sasuke fears he’s going to start crying again.

‘I thought I loved him… but none of it was real…’ he tries to clear his throat again, but Sasuke doesn’t miss the way his voice trembles. ‘Ya know, the last time I saw ‘im, he told me that he wasn’t even gay?’ Sasuke looks at him, brows furrowing into a look of disbelief. ‘Yeah,’ Naruto laughs, the noise lacking humour. ‘Told me that he wasn’t gay ‘n’ that he just used me ‘cause he was bored ‘n’ I was willin’ to do everything he asked, includin’ lettin’ ‘im fuck my _tight little ass_.’ He mimics Gaara’s voice, sneering, ‘_who was I to say no when you gave into me so easily_? He said - can you believe that?’

After meeting the red-head himself, Sasuke can, but he doesn’t say so.

Naruto lifts his elbow to his face to wipe his eyes on the sleeve of his t-shirt. He waits a few moments before continuing, ‘after, I kinda had a breakdown. That’s when I…’ he indicates to the scars on his back. Sasuke’s spare hand clenches. ‘Dad begged me to stop - sent me to counsellin’ too - but… I just couldn’t… ’s fucked up as it sounds, it kinda made me feel better, ya know?’ His eyes close and a lone tear rolls down his cheek. Sasuke catches it with his index finger, eyes boring into the blonde’s when Naruto peels them open to look at him.

A lopsided smile appears, and although it’s minuscule, it still makes Sasuke’s stomach flutter.

Then Naruto is looking away and he’s grabbing more cotton pads. His skin is soft against Sasuke’s, gently brushing against the bruises that have now started to form, ‘it’s after I stopped eatin’ when they put me in hospital.’

Sasuke wasn’t expecting that.

‘You… you were…?’

Naruto hums, still cleaning the blood from Sasuke’s skin. He doesn’t look as he works, ‘five hundred ‘n’ seven’y six days, I was in there - I counted,’ he pauses his ministrations to tap his temple. ‘Just over a year ‘n’ a half.’ His hand falls back into the water, wiping the last of the blood from Sasuke’s skin before emptying the sink of the soiled water. ‘I dunno how he found out… guess ‘Mari told ‘im,’ his voice slurs as he stiles a yawn, hands scrubbing the sink clean. He then uses a dry cotton pad to dry Sasuke’s skin before discarding of the used pads. ‘Best air it out to let it scab properly,’ he adds.

He glances at the red knuckles once more before finally letting go. Once satisfied that the bathroom is tidy enough, he leads the way back to his bedroom. Sasuke follows him, watching Naruto slump back onto the mattress, eyes peering up at the ceiling. Sasuke stands by the door until Naruto reaches a hand out to him, index finger bending.

He joins the blonde on the bed, the two lying side by side in the dark.

‘It’s not your fault,’ is the first thing Sasuke says.

And then without warning, a loud cry bursts past Naruto lips, and his chest is heaving uncontrollably. Wide eyed, Sasuke immediately reaches for him, pulling him closer until Naruto’s cheek is pressed against his collarbone. His shirt is soaked through in seconds, but Sasuke doesn’t care, arms tightening around Naruto until their bodies wrack together with the force of Naruto cries.

‘I’m sorry,’ Sasuke whispers into his hair. Naruto seems to cry harder at his words, so Sasuke doesn’t say anything else. He holds Naruto to him for what feels like hours. It feels even longer until Naruto begins to quieten.

And as Sasuke holds him, pain fills him when he realises that just like Gaara, he had used Naruto. And Naruto, as stupidly kind as he is, had simply let him. Naruto had trusted him. He’d given Sasuke everything he has to offer, tears, laughter and friendship all in one. He’d accepted Sasuke’s deal without complaint, and now Sasuke sees why. But as he lays there, nose brushing against Naruto’s forehead, he knows that their initial deal means nothing anymore.

To either of them.

_I can’t pretend anymore_, Naruto had told him.

Sasuke’s eyes squeeze shut and his fingers bury in Naruto’s hair.

_Neither can he._

He feels a stray tear tickle down his cheek, melting against his earlobe. The sensation makes his nose scrunch with disgust, but he makes no move to wipe it away. Instead, he holds Naruto closer, entwining their legs as his hip bumps agains the blonde’s.

‘It’s not your fault,’ he whispers again, fingers tightening around thick locks of hair. Naruto makes a strangled noise, muffled into Sasuke’s neck. The raven-head stiffens at the feeling of Naruto nuzzling him, but he doesn’t pull away.

_He doesn’t want to._

Instead, he dares to sneak a hand under Naruto’s t-shirt, the blonde tense against him when he feels Sasuke’s fingertips pressing against the scars, tickling the healed skin. It takes several minutes for Naruto to relax against him, his cries now silenced. They remain silent as Sasuke traces shapeless patterns into Naruto’s skin, his warm breath fanning across the top of his head. Naruto’s breathing becomes heavier and it eventually lulls Sasuke’s eyes into a heavy droop as the blonde leans his full weight against him.

‘Thanks, ‘Ske,’ Naruto sighs against his neck and Sasuke tightens his arms around him. ‘’M sorry ‘bout your hand.’

Sasuke manages a tired smile, even though Naruto can’t see it.

‘I’d do it again,’ he mutters truthfully.

He’s quick to fall unconscious after that. And for a very long while after, Naruto lies awake, face pressed against the raven-head’s neck. Sasuke smells of cocoa powder, his scent as sweet as the feeling of his skin pressed against Naruto’s. His fingers have stilled against Naruto’s back, and although the blonde feels overwhelmed - by relief or embarrassment, he can’t tell - he’s grateful that Sasuke is the one who lies at his side.

He feels guilty that Sasuke is injured because of him, but if Sasuke’s punch proved anything, it was that he was no longer pretending. Hell, Naruto would go as far as to dare that Sasuke likes him too. The Uchiha defending him had been the last thing Naruto had expected, and he doesn’t think he’d be able to describe just how much it means to him. Seeing the fury in those dark eyes he’s come to adore, the reminder makes his stomach flutter. Eyes stinging, he bites his bottom lip, willing himself not to cry again.

Gaara had been right.

He _does_ love Sasuke.

Maybe a little too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	14. [birthday kisses]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- here is the long awaited smooch scene; enjoy!

It takes just a few days for Sasuke to realise Naruto is avoiding him.

He’d left the morning after, before the blonde had even awoken, with the quiet promise to return later. However, when he’d rung the doorbell, it was a stone-faced Kakashi who had told him that Naruto had gone out for the evening. Sasuke had left, pushing his present - which he’d retrieved from the postoffice that morning - into the silver haired man’s hands. Kakashi had promised to give it to his son, yet when Sasuke had texted Naruto’s number to ensure he’d got his package, his message had been ignored.

On Sunday, he’d visited the post office again, to send out a commission this time. Only, Naruto hadn’t been there. Sai mentioned something about Asuma forcing the blonde to stay at home, and Sasuke had hoped his disappointment hadn’t shown, returning home, mood soured.

He doesn’t want to admit it, but having the blonde ignore him makes him nauseous. It hurts, even, he thinks later that night, eyeing Naruto’s hoodie that he has yet to return. It hangs on the back of his chair, and occasionally, Sasuke wears it to bed. He doesn’t dare to question why he stops to inhale the fabric before he goes to sleep at night, nor why he refuses to return it to its rightful owner, but a part of him already knows why.

And after three full days of silence, panic is beginning to settle into the pit of his stomach. He’s lost count of the amount of times he’s typed out a message to the blonde, only to delete it before he presses send. He’s not even able to concentrate on his work properly, silently suffering from a creative block every time he tries to put pencil to paper.

It’s ridiculous, he thinks, just how much Naruto’s silence upsets him.

Before they’d started this agreement, he’d never allow himself to get worked up like this. Yet somehow, he knows that if someone else were to take Naruto’s place, he wouldn’t care half as much as he does. And it confuses him. He hates that the blonde is all he can think about. Hates that Naruto isn’t talking to him, hates how it hurts him so.

And yet every time he thinks of just leaving the blonde alone forever, his chest hurts just a little more.

Today it is Tuesday.

Naruto’s birthday.

Itachi finds his brother in the kitchen, glaring down at his hands as he washes them free of any paint.

‘Brother,’ the elder greets, receiving a grunt in reply. Itachi busies himself with making coffee, sparing his kid brother a glance. ‘What’s wrong?’

Sasuke doesn’t even look at him, scrubbing his skin a little harder, ‘nothing.’ He avoids the forming scabs on his knuckles, his pale skin reddening under the force of his cleansing. He all but slams the paint pot into the sink, blatantly ignoring his brother’s noise of disapproval, allowing the scalding water to melt the paint away from the brushes. He cleans up in silence, eyes downcast. But Itachi sees the frown beginning to form before it even appears, leaning against the counter to regard Sasuke’s expression.

‘You’re bleeding,’ he comments. Sasuke doesn’t reply. He scrubs a little harder, gritting his teeth. He hadn’t even noticed the blood mixing with the water, oblivious to the fact that he’d caught his wound with the scourer. He holds his hand under the tap, welcoming the slight sting he feels as the water trickles over his knuckles. Itachi is frowning now, ‘Sasuke?’

Sasuke’s head lowers, his fringe falling to hide his face.

Itachi sees the large tear falling into the sink, his brother’s hands stilling under the running water. He calls his name again, and it appears to snap Sasuke out of his reverie, suddenly scrubbing the paintbrushes at such a pace that the bristles almost break off.

The younger straightens his spine, sniffs once, twice, before lifting his head, all traces of tears, gone.

Itachi eyes him, arms crossing over his chest. He ignores the kettle as it finishes its cycle, clouds of steam escaping from the spout. He watches Sasuke turn the water off, stacking the brushes and the pot to dry, before grabbing the tea-towel from the cupboard door to dry his hands.

The cloth stains with his blood and Itachi stares at it.

He’d managed to wring the meaning behind the injury out of his brother the day after it had occurred, surprised that Sasuke had given in so quickly. He’d also been surprised to hear that Sasuke had used violence to defend Naruto in the first place. The younger has managed to do a good job of hiding the injury from both their mother and father, but the purple bruises are darkening with each passing day and Itachi suspects that it won’t be long before they discover the reason behind it.

Itachi silently commends his brother.

He also basks in the glory that his plan had worked at all. At first, he’d doubted that whilst Sasuke would easily - and stubbornly - keep up pretences with Naruto, it was unquestionable that he’d actually befriend the blonde. Sasuke had never made friends before - Itachi is regretful to admit - but somehow, Naruto is battering down the walls even Itachi had deemed unbreakable.

He quietly commends the blonde too.

Yet as Sasuke grumbles something incoherent under his breath, throwing the ruined fabric into the bin, Itachi suspects his bad mood is Naruto-related.

‘Did something happen to Naruto?’ He asks before Sasuke can escape from the room.

Sasuke turns to face him, glaring, ‘my life doesn’t revolve around Naruto, you know.’

Itachi’s eyebrows pull together, forming a frown that matches his brother’s. He pushes his weight from the counter, standing up straight, ‘then why are you sulking?’

Sasuke’s glare darkens, ‘I’m not three years old, Itachi. I don’t sulk.’

Itachi says nothing, eyes narrowing when he notices Sasuke’s hands curling into fists. ‘I don’t know what your problem is,’ he starts, voice low, warning. ‘But if it _is_ because of Naruto, I suggest you fix it before Mother starts fussing. She’s already beginning to notice your foul mood. Father, too.’

‘My mood isn’t foul,’ Sasuke denies, cheeks flushing.

_Is he really that transparent?_

His jaw tenses, and he averts his gaze, hoping that Itachi doesn’t see how he’s struggling to stop the tears from forming. Itachi does see, however, and takes a step closer. His arms uncross, one hand reaching out to clasp onto his brother’s shoulder. He feels the younger tense, but to his surprise, Sasuke doesn’t pull away.

‘Are you okay?’

Sasuke’s teeth clamp down on his bottom lip to stop it from trembling. He clears his throat, stepping back from his brother’s reach, his cheeks hot. ‘I’m fine,’ he grits out. And then before Itachi can stop him, he’s turning on his heel, leaving the room so fast that Itachi can only blink after him.

In his bedroom, Sasuke slams the door shut behind him.

Inhaling a deep breath, his eyes close before he blinks them open again. The tears dissipate and he breathes a sigh of relief. Taking a seat at his desk, he eyes the gift he’d wrapped a few days before, sat in an obnoxiously designed gift bag. He’d struggled with said present, and only hopes that Naruto will at least accept it, never mind enjoy playing the video game he’d chosen with the help of his mother.

Slouching in his chair, Sasuke’s face falls.

Naruto isn’t even talking to him. As if he’d accept Sasuke’s gift. The thought makes Sasuke wince. However, before he can dwell on it, there’s a knock on his door. He doesn’t look up to know it is Itachi.

Before his brother can speak, Sasuke stands, grabbing the gift bag by it’s handle. He thrusts it under Itachi’s nose, ignoring the bewildered expression on his face.

‘I need you to give this to Naruto.’

Itachi holds the gift bag carefully, nosily taking a peek inside, only to see the gift is wrapped. Sasuke prays he doesn’t notice the letter he’d tucked underneath. Itachi looks at him, frowning, ‘are you sure you want me to give it to him?’

‘Please,’ Sasuke all but begs, his expression stoic but his voice almost breaking. ‘Just deliver it to him before the end of today. I’ll give you his address.’

Itachi’s expression is one of sympathy, and it annoys Sasuke. But to his surprise, Itachi agrees quickly, ‘okay.’

‘Okay?’ Sasuke repeats, eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Itachi nods, forcing a smile, ‘I’ll leave out soon. Just send his address by text, so I can copy and paste it into google.’ And then he’s leaving Sasuke alone in his room, the door closing behind him. Sasuke releases a breath that he didn’t even know he was holding. He retrieves his phone from the desk, quickly sending his brother the correct address. And then before he can second guess himself, he types out a short message, pressing send before he can regret it.

_Happy Birthday, Naruto._

๑

Sasuke is awoken by a hand shaking his shoulder.

Nose crinkling, he turns his head away, groaning at the ache he feels in his neck.

The hand on his shoulder holds him a little tighter, shaking again.

‘’Ske?’

Sasuke’s eyes fly open.

His gaze is a little hazy as he blinks them into focus, widening when he sees the sheepish smile on Naruto’s face. Sasuke lifts his head from where its resting on his desk, left cheek reddened from where it had lain. Naruto is leaning closer than he realises, their foreheads almost bumping together as Sasuke sits up straight, rubbing at his eyes.

Naruto watches him quietly, shuffling backwards until he’s sitting on Sasuke’s mattress. In his hand, he holds Sasuke’s letter, the ravenette eyeing it with a flush of embarrassment. He clears his throat, looking up to meet Naruto’s gaze, blue orbs peering back at him with a look of nervousness.

Sasuke is grateful to see that the blonde looks much better than he had days before, but the sight of him sitting on his bed makes Sasuke’s stomach churn. His body rigid in his chair, his head tilts downwards, fringe obscuring his face from Naruto’s view.

Naruto, sensing the Uchiha’s discomfort, shifts on the bed, a smile forced onto his lips. Sasuke sighs mutedly, turning in his chair so that he is now facing the blonde.

‘Happy-’

‘I’m sorry,’ Naruto blurts, interrupting him.

Sasuke eyes him, face paling a little.

Naruto clears his throat, blinking slowly. ‘I-I was going to stop by earlier, but Kiba made me go out for drinks with him and-’ he pauses, running his spare hand through his hair. Sasuke glances at the digital clock on his desk, surprised to see that it’s almost ten o’clock at night. ‘Anyways,’ Naruto chuckles, the noise giddy and unsure, ‘I wanted to come and say thanks… for the game… and this,’ he waves the letter in the air. Sasuke winces at the sight of it, and Naruto quickly lowers his hand, smile disappearing. ‘I didn’t mean to ignore you, ya know…’

Sasuke flinches, looking away. 

Naruto falters, a dark flush gracing his cheeks. ‘I just… I don’t really know,’ he scratches the back of his neck, brows furrowing. ‘After everythin’ the other day… I didn’t want you to think of me as some kind of weirdo or summin’, ya know?’ He eyes the bruises on Sasuke’s hand, his expression now one of guilt. ‘I’m sorry-’

‘You are a weirdo,’ Sasuke cuts in, voice quiet. He had been right; Naruto _was_ avoiding him.

Naruto stares at the side of his face, barely able to see the tiny smile that’s formed on Sasuke’s lips.

‘But I already told you,’ Sasuke continues, the smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, ‘it wasn’t your fault.’ He glances at the blonde, slightly taken aback to see the tears that have built up in the corners of his eyes. Quick to change the subject, Sasuke clicks his tongue, ‘did you have a nice birthday?’

Sniffing, Naruto easily brightens at the question, ‘ah, yeah! ‘Kashi and Dad bought me this new bike I wanted - I’ve been tryna save up for freakin’ months, but now that they’ve-’ and he begins to ramble away in a manner that makes Sasuke’s chest warm, relaxing back into his chair as he listens.

After an hour or so, Sasuke has migrated to the bed, the two now sat side by side, empty bottles of beer abandoned on the floor. The letter Sasuke wrote has now been placed on the desk, and the ravenette balances his laptop on his knee, gaze glued to the screen as a film plays.

But whilst he watches, he pretends that he doesn’t notice the blonde stealing glances at him. He acts as if it doesn’t make his stomach sing with butterflies, blaming the sensation on the light buzz of alcohol consumption. But he’s only had one beer, so he knows that he’s far from drunk yet, his logic thrown out of the window when halfway through the film, Naruto dozes off. His head slumps against Sasuke’s shoulder, and for a reason the ravenette is unwilling to admit, he nudges his cheek against the top of Naruto’s head.

‘’Ske,’ the blonde mumbles in his sleep, his weight pressing against Sasuke’s shoulder. Sasuke gingerly reaches to run his fingers through the thick strands of hair, blonde clinging and curling around his fingers. Naruto sleepily hums his name appreciatively, his head suddenly moving until his nose is pressing against Sasuke’s neck.

Sasuke’s hand stills in his hair, eyes squeezing shut as Naruto’s breath fans across his skin. And when something wet tickles along the curve of his neck, Sasuke’s grip tightens around the blonde’s hair, pulling. This - to both Sasuke’s horror and surprise - elicits a breathy moan from the blonde, whose mouth closes on Sasuke’s skin, sucking. Sasuke’s hands fall from his hair to grip the bedsheets, his eyes watering.

He doesn’t even know why he’s crying. Maybe it’s because he’s never had someone touch him like this before. Maybe it’s because until the blonde starts sucking on a particularly sweet spot that forces a low moan of his own mouth, he didn’t even realise just how much he _craved _for the blonde to touch him like this. Or maybe it’s simply because Naruto is unconscious and will probably have no recollection of this when he wakes in the morning - and it fills Sasuke with dread.

And so with all the strength he can muster - despite how good Naruto’s lips feel against his skin - he pushes the blonde back as harshly as he can. Naruto, in turn, jolts wide awake, yelping loudly as he almost falls onto his side, arm flying out to catch his balance.

It takes all of two seconds for him to notice the bruise that’s begun to form on Sasuke’s neck, eyes wide as he watches the way the ravenette pants, tear-stained eyes avoiding his own as he clutches the bedsheets. Naruto’s regret appears so quickly that it almost pains Sasuke to even look at his face.

‘S-Sasuke… oh my god…’ Naruto’s lips glisten in the strip of moonlight that peeks through Sasuke’s curtains. ‘Sasuke, I’m so fuckin’ s-’

‘Don’t say it,’ Sasuke interrupts him, eyes now focused on him, glaring.

Naruto’s lips part, and Sasuke feels his own cheeks betray him as he stares. He barely feels Naruto reaching to press the pad of his thumb against the bruise on his neck. ‘But I-’

Sasuke’s eyes meet his own, ‘I don’t care.'

Naruto’s hand falls to his side, ‘…what?’

Wide eyed, he watches Sasuke press at the mark on his neck, eyes unreadable as he asks, ‘are you gay?’

Naruto splutters, ‘w-what you askin’ me that for?’

Sasuke likes to think that he’s not stupid. He’s heard the rumours about Naruto’s not-so-private sex life from their high-school days, and he almost hates that he knows about Gaara too. So when the stupid question falls from his equally-as-stupid mouth, he immediately regrets it. But Naruto doesn’t seem all too bothered, countering his question with one of his own.

‘Are _you _gay?’

Sasuke shrugs.

His non-verbal answer seems to disappoint the blonde, he notices, Naruto leaning a little further back. Sasuke regrets his answer, quick to grab a hold of Naruto’s wrist to stop him from moving.

‘I’m not drunk, Naruto.’

Naruto frowns, ‘I can see that-’

Sasuke leans close, closer than he’d usually be comfortable. He pushes the laptop away, shifting so that he’s now sat on his knees. His hand is still holding Naruto’s wrist, large blue eyes widening a fraction as he realises the meaning behind Sasuke’s words.

The ravenette’s fingers trace the back of Naruto’s hand, dark eyes focused on the contrast of their complexions. A phantom of a smile tugs the corner of Sasuke’s mouth upwards, his hand tightening around Naruto’s. He looks up, taken aback to see the way the blonde’s gaze has darkened a little, his lips pressed together to form a flat line.

‘I’m not drunk,’ Sasuke repeats slowly, his voice quiet.

This time, Naruto reacts in the way that Sasuke wants him to, sitting up a little straighter, his fingers curling around long, pale digits. Sasuke feels him tugging, allowing the blonde to pull him closer, close enough that Naruto’s breath now fans across his cheek.

Hesitantly, Naruto’s other hand reaches to push back Sasuke’s fringe from his face, fingers trailing down his cheek, towards his neck where he strokes against the bruise. Sasuke’s eyes flutter shut and he welcomes the nerves that squirm in the centre of his stomach, rising all the way up to the back of his throat. He’s never done this before, he doesn’t even know if Naruto is about to do this out of politeness, pity or with genuine, mutual need.

But he doesn’t get the chance to over-think it.

Naruto’s thumb moves to trace over his cheekbone and Sasuke inhales a shaky breath.

‘’Ske,’ Naruto’s nose bumps against his, gently nudging until Sasuke tilts his head to the side. ‘Are you gay?’

Sasuke breaths a soft laugh, the sound travelling through Naruto’s ears and straight to his stomach. Pale fingers tighten around tanned ones, dark lashes brushing just above cheekbones as he expels another nervous laugh before returning the question, ‘are _you_ gay?’

At this, Naruto’s lips brush against his own and Sasuke’s heart beats so fast that he hears it thundering down his eardrums. He teases, hand letting go of Sasuke’s to curl around the back of his neck, thumb tracing over the hickey that Sasuke is sure will be a pain to hide from his family the next morning. But right now, he doesn’t care, hands reaching to grasp Naruto’s shirt, pulling him closer.

‘Fucking kiss me, Uzumaki,’ he hisses, ignoring the flipping of his stomach at the sound of the low chuckle that is breathed against his lips.

And so Naruto kisses him.

Sasuke’s breath is knocked from his lungs as Naruto’s lips press to his, gently coaxing him to return the gesture. Sasuke hasn’t ever kissed anyone before, but he’s not completely naive, so he allows Naruto to guide him until they set a pace that makes his grip tighten on Naruto’s shirt.

He can’t believe this is happening.

_Naruto._

Uzumaki Naruto is _actually_ kissing him.

His fingers grip Sasuke’s hair a little tighter, pulling to position his head where the blonde wants him. Sasuke breaths a small moan, which morphs into a muffled cry of surprise as Naruto’s tongue coaxes his lips apart, brushing against his own. It feels slightly odd, to have Naruto’s tongue touching his, but it deepens their kiss, and this way, he can taste Naruto properly. He kisses back with as much eagerness as he can muster, hoping that he’s doing a good enough job to match Naruto’s quickening pace.

Their kiss is sloppy and wet and it makes Sasuke’s toes curl as his hands sneak under the fabric of Naruto’s t-shirt, curling around his sides before his arms wrap around his waist. Naruto moans into his mouth and Sasuke squirms, heaving one of his own as Naruto’s hands come to cup his cheeks, kissing him harshly. His stomach is tingling now, his entire body hot as Naruto’s tongue tickles the roof of his mouth, teasing along his front teeth before curling around Sasuke’s.

Voice muffled, Sasuke licks across Naruto’s bottom lip, moaning softly as one of Naruto’s hands comes to rest on his thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. Unconsciously, Sasuke’s hips jerk closer, and Naruto’s breath shakes, his laughter exhaled against Sasuke’s mouth. The ravenette’s teeth gently dig into his bottom lip and Naruto grunts, allowing Sasuke to ease the pain by gently suckling it away.

When they part, Sasuke’s lips glisten, Naruto’s thumb gently wiping the saliva from his skin.

Their breaths uneven, Naruto pants out a short laugh, his lips ghosting over Sasuke’s cheek, ‘you sure you ain’t kissed anyone ‘fore?’

Sasuke tuts, nudging the blonde’s hand from his thigh, lacing their fingers together. He catches his breath, cheeks singing with a blush that makes Naruto’s grin widen. The sight makes Sasuke’s cheeks darken, lips sheepishly curling up, his smile hidden as he presses his lips to Naruto’s with a chaste kiss.

The blonde blinks lazily, his grin now lopsided.

Heavily lidded eyes gaze back and Sasuke traces the slant of Naruto’s nose with his index finger. He watches Naruto’s eyes flutter and Sasuke dares to smile properly this time. When Naruto’s gaze focuses on his, Sasuke leans closer, welcoming the teasing of Naruto’s lips brushing against his own once more.

Fingers squeezing the blonde’s, Sasuke’s smile widens a fraction, ‘happy birthday, Naruto.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	15. [sasuke's coming out]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- i do not own any of Naruto.  
\- i don't know how to thank you all for 300 kudos ;-; i honestly didn't think my story would ever gain so much support, so thank you all so much!  
\- as you may notice, we're on chapter 15/20; i decided to shorten the length from 30 chapters because i like how this story has developed so far, but i also feel like the end is much nearer than i originally planned. so i don't think i'm going to write more than 20 chapters, but we'll see (because i'm pretty indecisive). so as of right now, the end is nearing :(

For the next few days, Sasuke panics.

The taste of Naruto lingers on his tongue, no matter how much he scrubs his teeth clean. When he closes his eyes, he pictures the blonde kissing him, over and over until one morning, he awakens with a stiffness in his shorts that makes his stomach twist with embarrassment. When the blonde sends him a text, the hairs on the back of Sasuke’s neck rise with a nervousness he wasn’t even sure he was capable of feeling.

In all the twenty-four years of his life, Sasuke has never questioned his sexuality.

Straight, just like his parents, his brother, his endless list of cousins and aunts and uncles - some of whom Sasuke cannot even name. He can’t recall one member of his family being gay - openly, that is - and it makes him feel nauseous to admit that he’s potentially the first.

It confuses him.

To wake up, thinking of a male, to go to sleep, thinking of a male. To want to kiss, touch and _love _said male.

It’s not as if his parents would disapprove, Sasuke doesn’t think. Or at least, he hopes.

Mikoto would give her blessing, that, Sasuke is sure of. She’s already hinted towards a relationship blossoming between him and Naruto, and although he’d previously denied it, he’s ashamed to admit he’d blushed at Naruto’s _I miss you _text message the day after his birthday.

Fugaku and Itachi are a different matter.

Itachi, Sasuke has always suspected, is someone who loves both genders. He’s never said it outright, but after a drunken night out with his kid brother and Shisui, Itachi had spent majority of the night flirting with the very-much-a-man bartender. He’s also had his small share of girlfriends, but Sasuke can’t be too sure on how his brother would take to him dating Naruto. Itachi has supported him through everything so far, and Sasuke hopes that this won’t put a stop to it.

His father, however, Sasuke cannot be too sure on.

Much like majority of the rest of the men in the family, Uchiha Fugaku has always been obnoxiously clear on his marriage to Mikoto - Sasuke has heard many a time his father’s ‘you’ll find a woman to love as much as I love your mother’ speech - a rare open declaration of just how Fugaku feels about his wife. And although he does hope that Naruto is that person, Naruto is definitely not a woman. And he’s not entirely sure how his father will feel about learning that his youngest son is kissing boys.

Sasuke’s cheeks still warm to the thought of the kiss he’d shared with Naruto - and the many that followed right after - that night. He knows that to others, it’s wrong to kiss someone of the same gender, but when Naruto had kissed him so feverishly that Sasuke had felt his excitement throbbing just beneath his abdomen, Sasuke had thought it was all kinds of right. It doesn’t take long for him to come to the conclusion that he doesn’t care if he’s straight, gay or bisexual - Naruto is the only one he wants to kiss him that way. And if that means he’s gay, then so be it.

However, the pair have yet to discuss the status on their relationship. Do they continue as before? Does Naruto want to kiss him again? Sasuke hopes so. He’s never had a partner before - neither male or female - and he isn’t entirely sure how to ask someone to date him. The embarrassing thought makes his cheeks flare with a heat that makes his toes curl.

However, despite the fact that Sasuke hasn’t had the chance to discuss their relationship status, he decides that it’s best to admit to his family that he isn’t going to be marrying a woman any time soon. Or at all, for that matter.

And so just days after his first ever kiss, during dinner, Sasuke makes up his mind.

It is Shisui who notices that he’s stopped eating, his fork falling to his plate with a soft thud. Shisui leans closer, frowning, ‘you okay?’

Itachi, hearing his cousin’s hushed words, stops listening to their parents’ conversation, glancing to Sasuke who is sat opposite him.

Sasuke’s stomach churns with nerves and he’s sure that he might actually throw up. His pulse throbs so harshly that he can feel it against his neck, and he reaches to press a thumb against it, wincing. Ignoring his brother’s questioning stare, he takes a few shaky breaths and then he blurts it out before he can talk himself out of it.

‘I think I’m gay.’

The room falls silent.

Four pairs of eyes gawk at him, and Sasuke feels his nerves increase by tenfold. Maybe he should have waited until Naruto had been there to support him. His palms sweaty, he rubs them on the jogging-bottoms he’s wearing, swallowing down the thick lump at the back of his throat. No one speaks for the longest time, and when Sasuke dares to look up, he’s taken aback to see the expression on his mother’s face. The tiniest of smiles grace her lips, her eyes filled with unshed tears, her cheeks rosy from the large glass of wine she’s consumed.

To his left, Shisui nudges an elbow into his ribcage. Flinching, Sasuke glances at him, blinking back at the wide grin his cousin sports. Itachi’s smile is much more reserved than their cousin’s, appearing more of a smirk than an actual smile, to Sasuke’s annoyance.

‘It’s about time,’ Fugaku is the first to break the silence.

Sasuke dares to look at him, surprised by the calm expression on his father’s face, as if Sasuke had just announced it’s raining outside. Fugaku swallows down a mouthful of wine, looking up to meet his youngest son’s gaze, a brown brow rising.

‘I don’t know why you look surprised,’ Fugaku says, placing his glass back onto the table-top with a soft clink. His lips then form a very small smile, a rare sight that even Shisui has no smart comment for. Both Itachi and Mikoto stare at Fugaku as if he’d grown a second head, and Sasuke cannot say that he blames them. ‘You mother and I have suspected for a number of years. Especially when you invited that boy over.’

‘Naruto,’ Sasuke snaps out, feeling both relieved and annoyed at the same time. He can’t believe this. His own parents had suspected his own sexuality _years _before he’d even known? He doesn’t know what to think.

‘Yes,’ Fugaku nods, humming. ‘A fine young man.’

Sasuke’s cheeks are hot.

Mikoto makes a noise that sounds as if she’s choking back a cry and Sasuke looks up just in time to see that she’s doing just that. Itachi offers her a napkin and she all but snatches it from his hand, quickly dabbing her eyes dry. ‘I love you,’ she suddenly says and Sasuke does his best to not cringe from her forwardness. ‘I never thought I’d see you go on to marry-’

‘We’re not getting married,’ Sasuke protests, feeling very embarrassed.

Beside him, Shisui nudges him again, harder this time. ‘Gay people can do it now, you know? There’s nothing stopping you.’

Sasuke glares, ‘I’m twenty-four. I don’t need to get married yet-’

‘Your mother and I were married at eighteen,’ Fugaku reminds him, sipping his wine again.

Sasuke doesn’t even bother to argue.

He sits back in his chair, slumping. Mikoto gushes, ‘when is Naruto next coming over for dinner?’

Sasuke looks at her, a shoulder raising to shrug. But Fugaku answers for him, ‘invite him over tomorrow.’ His gruff tone leaves no room for argument and so Sasuke makes a mental note to ask Naruto later. At the other end of the table, Mikoto is nodding, beaming. She refills her glass, pausing to do the same for her husband and Shisui when he asks.

Turning to him, Shisui grins at his cousin, ‘never thought you’d have the balls to admit it.’

The tips of his ears reddening, Sasuke huffs, ‘it’s not _that_ obvious.’

At this, even Fugaku chuckles under his breath. Shisui snorts loudly, ‘you are kidding, right?’ He throws his head back, laughing loudly. Sasuke fights the urge to punch him, eyes narrowed as Shisui sobers from his laughter, giggling as he throws a heavy arm over Sasuke’s shoulder. ‘Baby cousin, it was obvious from the day I met Naruto.’ He laughs again, Sasuke’s fists clenching. ‘You ran after him, barefoot, in the middle of the night.’

Sasuke’s head ducks at the memory. By now, he’s sure that his entire face is red, which is confirmed by Mikoto’s slurred, ‘look at his blush! My beautiful baby-’

‘I’m twenty-four,’ Sasuke says again, just to remind her.

Mikoto waves a hand dismissively, matching his glare with one of her own, ‘you’ll always be my baby. These two as well,’ she reaches to place a hand on both Itachi’s and Shisui’s shoulders. The latter grins, unashamed, but when Sasuke meets his brother’s gaze, he’s taken aback to see the grim expression on his face. Mikoto also notices, ‘Itachi? What’s-?’

Itachi suddenly rises from his chair, pushing it back so that it scrapes across the tiled floor. Eyes boring into his brothers, Sasuke can only frown to hide the panic he’s beginning as he notes the downward turning of the corner of Itachi’s lips. Maybe he’d gotten it all wrong? Maybe his brother really is a homophobe? The thought sickens Sasuke to the stomach and he has to look away, distracting himself with swallowing down a mouthful of his water. He watches Itachi take a step backwards, neatly placing his chair back under the table.

‘Excuse me,’ he says lowly. And then before anyone can respond, he exits the room as fast as his legs will take him. Sasuke stares after him, confused and hurt and angry all at once.

‘I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately,’ Fugaku mumbles into his dinner, brows pulling together.

‘Is it because of what I said?’ Sasuke asks, suddenly not hungry anymore.

Shisui snorts, ‘he’s not homophobic, if that’s what you’re asking.’ Sasuke glances at him, disbelieving. ‘It’s hard to be,’ Shisui continues, grinning knowingly, ‘especially for a bisexual.’

At this, Fugaku chokes on his mouthful of food.

Mikoto scolds him, ‘you already knew this. He told us last year.’

Fugaku recovers quickly, grunting under his breath.

‘He did?’

Three pairs of eyes turn to Sasuke once more.

He doesn’t know how to feel about Shisui’s admission about Itachi’s sexuality. Nor the fact that Itachi had come out to their parents but hadn’t bothered to tell his own brother. The hurt he feels increases and he angrily shoves a forkful of pasta in his mouth even though he’s no longer hungry. He glares down at his plate.

Shisui places a hand on his shoulder and Sasuke doesn’t bother to look up to see the sympathetic look on his face. ‘He was going to tell you.’

Sasuke snorts, ‘yeah, right.’ He drops his form back onto his plate, pushing it from his face. ‘He walks out when I tell him that I’m gay and then I have to find out from _you_ that he’s also-’ His eyes close and he stops speaking, his hands shaking in anger. After a moment, he’s calm enough to stand, swallowing down the remainder of his drink before slamming the glass down onto the table-top. He pretends to not see his father’s disapproving glare, barely glancing at his mother, ‘thanks for the dinner.’

And then he’s following his brother’s footsteps, walking out of the room before anyone can say another word. Making his way up the stairs, he stomps all the way back to his bedroom, throwing the door shut hard enough that he’s sure Itachi will have heard it from down the hallway. Sitting at his desk, he’s quick to send a message to Naruto, inviting him over for dinner tomorrow. The blonde is even quicker to respond, confirming his presence and Sasuke suddenly forgets his anger, a soft exhale escaping him before he leans back into his chair, eyes closing.

๑

When Naruto arrives the next day, Sasuke can’t hide his smile as he unlocks the gate. He watches Naruto make his way up the driveway, slower than Sasuke hopes for. And when he finally steps up to the porch, Sasuke all but throws the door open, startling him.

‘Shit!’

Naruto jumps, tripping over the doorway, barely catch his balance on the doorframe.

‘Don’t do that,’ he hisses but he’s smiling and Sasuke can’t help but return the gesture, albeit in a much shyer fashion. He steps to the side to allow Naruto to step inside, locking the door shut behind them. He watches Naruto kick his shoes from his feet, before the blonde follows him up the stairs. As they walk, Naruto peers down the hallway, ‘where’s-?’

‘They’re out,’ Sasuke says, not bothering to elaborate. ‘They won’t be back for another few hours.’

He doesn’t see but behind him, Naruto nods. Once they reach Sasuke’s bedroom, Naruto doesn’t bother to seek permission before he slumps down onto Sasuke’s bed, groaning. ‘How’s your bed so much comfier than mine?’ His voice is muffled and Sasuke only just makes out his words, hiding a smirk as he takes a seat beside him. Naruto reluctantly moves into a sitting position, the mattress dipping under his weight. He glances around the room, eyes fixating to two large canvases that are propped up against the wall. One is clean, having not been used yet, but the other is covered by a white sheet and Naruto’s head tilts, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

‘No, you can’t.’

Naruto’s stare shifts to Sasuke and he pouts, ‘I wasn’t going to-’

‘Yes you were,’ Sasuke accuses, not bothering to hide his knowing smirk. Naruto’s mouth mimics the gesture, his tongue swiping across his bottom lip. His smirk widens as Sasuke’s dark eyes focus on his lips and Naruto leans a little closer.

‘Can I kiss you?’

Sasuke blinks back at him, ears and cheeks tinging pink. Naruto thinks he looks adorable as Sasuke purposely avoids his gaze, nodding just once. Naruto’s fingers gently take a hold of Sasuke’s chin, tilting his head towards him. Sasuke exhales through his nose when Naruto’s lips mould against his own, and a delightful shivers trembles across his skin. If Naruto feels it, Sasuke is thankful that he doesn’t embarrass him by acknowledging it out loud. He relaxes against the blonde, allowing Naruto to dominate the kiss much like he had just a few days ago. It isn’t long before Naruto’s tongue traces against his, and Sasuke moans, the sound soft and breathy and Naruto answers with a grunt, his hands suddenly moving to curl around Sasuke’s shoulders.

With a strength that Sasuke shouldn’t really be surprised at, Naruto pulls the ravenette onto his lap, laughing against his mouth as Sasuke lets out a surprised yelp, his hand grasping onto Naruto for balance. He’s straddling him now and although he’s embarrassed to partake in such an intimate position, he can’t stop the second moan that escapes him as his groin brushes against Naruto’s. The blonde’s kisses are more urgent now, his fingers tangling in Sasuke’s hair, pulling him closer, his hips slowly grinding upwards. Sasuke shivers, his cock throbbing in his shorts, his teeth digging into Naruto’s bottom lip harshly.

The blonde breaks the kiss with a hissed cursed.

‘Sorry,’ Sasuke pants, tongue licking against Naruto’s injured lip.

Naruto huffs a laugh, ‘’s fine.’

Sasuke then leans back to look at him properly. Naruto’s cheeks look as red as his feel, his eyes glazed over, heavily lidded as he stares back at him. Sasuke feels tanned hands trailing down his back, stopping to curl around his waist, tugging him close enough that their chests are now touching. Sasuke can feel the blonde’s arousal pressed against his thigh and he closes his eyes, a breath shuddering past his lips. When he opens them again, the corners of Naruto’s lips have curled up into a soft smile. The sight makes Sasuke’s abdomen tighten, his own mouth mimicking before he can hide it.

‘You’re so beautiful,’ Naruto whispers, and Sasuke’s blush darkens.

He swallows and then he says, ‘be my… my boyfriend?’ He grimaces at how uncertain he sounds and even Naruto chuckles, but he feigns annoyance, pressing his nose into the crook of Sasuke’s shoulder, puffing a breath against his skin. 

‘I wanted to ask you first,’ he grumbles. Sasuke bites his bottom lip to stop himself from smiling again. Naruto leans back to look at him, his grin wider than before. His fingers reach to brush Sasuke’s fringe back from his face and he traces his thumb over a dark eyebrow. ‘Be mine?’

Sasuke jabs a finger into the blonde’s stomach, ‘I asked first,’ he glares.

‘Yes,’ Naruto answers quickly, flinching from his fingertip. ‘Yes, yes, yes, I’ll be your boyfriend.’

This time, Sasuke cannot fight the smile from appearing, leaning to press his forehead against Naruto’s shoulder. He feels fingers in his hair and he relishes in the sensation, his eyes fluttering shut as he silently battles his nerves away. When he eventually feels them dissipate, he sighs heavily, inhaling Naruto’s scent. They sit in silence for a while, Naruto’s fingers dancing in his hair, Sasuke mouthing a smile against his collarbone.

It is some time before their comfortable silence is broken by the sound of the front door slamming shut.

Sasuke sits up straight, listening for footsteps. Naruto eyes the bedroom door as if he can see right through it, his hands tightening around Sasuke’s waist. ‘I thought you said no-one was comin’ home for hours?’ Sasuke is frowning now, pulling back until he slides from Naruto’s lap. He stands, frowning as he listens to the sound of someone sauntering down the hallway, towards his room.

Naruto’s brows pull together at Sasuke’s expression. Remaining sat on the bed, he watches the handle of the door turning before it opens. Itachi enters the room without asking for permission to - something which makes Sasuke’s frown morph into a glare at the sight of his brother. Naruto’s confusion increases and he begins to suspect that the pair have fought, glancing from Itachi, to Sasuke, and back again. And then much to his surprise, and Sasuke’s increasing irritation, Itachi’s gaze focuses on him instead, eyes darkening into a scowl.

‘We need to talk.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed!  
\- please show support by leaving a kudos or even a comment; i'd love to hear what you think.  
\- find me on twitter: @madarains


	16. [author’s note - important!!!]

Hi, hello, readers!   
  


I know that it’s been a while since I updated _The Delivery Boy, _and I received many messages about upcoming chapters.   
  


As much as I’d love to continue writing this story, I haven’t had the time, nor motivation to write as much lately. Any motivation/time that I do have, I try to focus on my more popular stories that have a higher number of readers, such as _His Redemption,_ for example. Because of this, I am going to put _The Delivery Boy _on hold for the time being.   
  


Now, this doesn’t mean that I will not be returning to this story, because I do fully intend on completing it. That, and I also don’t want to let down the people who have been waiting for an update for a few months now. Because of this, _The Delivery Boy_ will remain available to read, for those who wish to reread, but I will not be writing new chapters any time soon.   
  


I do apologise to those who have messaged me and to those who have been patiently awaiting an update. I hope to return to this story as soon as possible, but for the time being, I want to thank those who have supported this story so far, including the reader who made some fanart for this au. It truly means a lot to me.   
  


Thank you all, and I hope to see you soon. Stay safe. 


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